Egypt's FM Sameh Shoukry meets with UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini (Photo courtesy of MFA)
Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry urged international support to ensure the continuation of relief efforts of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) during a meeting on Wednesday with UNRWA's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in Jordan.
Shoukry had arrived in Jordan’s Amman on Wednesday to take part in a quadripartite ministerial meeting Thursday to discuss a framework to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with the foreign ministers of Jordan, Germany and France.
During the meeting with Lazzarini, Shoukry voiced Egypt's support of the agency's humanitarian role to relieve the suffering of Palestinian refugees, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is necessary international efforts continue to ensure the agency's vital services are provided, especially in the healthcare, education, and relief sectors, the minister noted.
Lazzarini praised Egypt’s efforts to support the agency and also expressed appreciation for the country’s efforts to resolve the Palestinian crisis and achieve peace in the Middle East, the statement added.
Shourky also held a meeting on Wednesday in Amman with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Al-Safadi, during which they confirmed their countries’ solid stance to support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and affirmed the need to reach a fair and comprehensive political settlement to the Palestinian issue based on international legitimacy references.
UNRWA provides relief efforts to five million Palestinian refugees worldwide.
In recent years, UNRWA has been facing a severe drop in its ability to support Palestinian refugees after the US cut funding to the relief agency in 2018
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