British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, “Britain will provide UNRWA with an amount of US$12.461 million to support its basic services in the period leading up to the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.”

This came during his visit, today, Wednesday, to residents of the Jalazoun refugee camp near Ramallah, in his first official visit to the occupied Palestinian territory, where he met with the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini.

The British Foreign Secretary said: “I saw first-hand the impact of UNRWA’s work in supporting Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, and British funding helps support millions of Palestine refugees across the region by providing vital healthcare.”

In turn, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA briefed the British Foreign Secretary on the main protection issues faced by Palestine refugees in the camp and in other parts of the West Bank, and the agency’s work including key services such as education and health.

“The agency’s services, including providing education to more than half a million children, have become more important than ever given the unprecedented challenges faced by Palestine refugees,” he said.