Dear Ministers,
It is an honour to represent the European Union here today.
What is happening in Gaza is breaking the hearts around the world.
What I want to say is that we value the dedication and professionalism of everyone working for the benefit of the Palestinian people in a very challenging situation.
Let me express our deepest and heartfelt condolences for the loss of more than 360 UNRWA personnel in the hostilities since October 2023.
I want to underline the European Unions commitment to UNRWA.
Last year and this year, we have disbursed more than 170 million Euro to Palestine.
Our support is going into salaries and pensions and into health workers and hospitals.
As the Egyptian minister rightly said, the recognition of about 160 counties must be translated into action.
This is why we urge all partners to disburse the pledged funds and to reconsider support which has been paused.
At the same time, we welcome the UN Secretary Generals initiative for a Strategic Assessment of UNRWA, knowing that this agency is indispensable for the moment.
To conclude, the European Union stands firmly with the Palestinians.
We want to ensure that their essential needs are met.
I hope all of us share the same goal in the long term.
Let us strengthen the Palestinian Authority and empower them to take over, in the foreseable future, some of the services UNRWA is providing for the moment.
Thank you so much.
