500,000 Palestinian refugee children face school delay over lack of funds
Children in conflicts, Education in emergencies
Palestinian refugees at an UNWRA school聽Pictures: UNWRA
The start of the school year for 500,000 Palestinian refugee children could be delayed for months because of a funding shortfall.
More than $100 million is needed urgently if the 2015-16 academic year is to begin at the end of August in 700 United Nations-run schools, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has warned.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday called on all donors to ensure adequate and sustainable financing for vital services is in place as soon as possible.
He said: 国产视频淎t a time when crises and human suffering are growing throughout the Middle East, it is imperative that UNRWA 国产视频 a pillar of stability for a registered population of some five million Palestine refugees 国产视频 is provided with the resources necessary to enable it to continue providing services including education for half a million Palestine refugee children.国产视频
UNWRA said that unless $101 million is secured by the middle of August, the financial crisis could force the suspension of education services 国产视频 delaying the start of the academic year at 700 schools and for 7000 youths at eight vocational training centres across the Middle East. School-based psychosocial programmes for children affected by conflict could also be stalled.
More than $1 billion was pledged by governments by the end of 2014 but many have not yet paid up.
The agency provides assistance and protection for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. Its services include聽education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement.
Its聽Commissioner-General Pierre Kr盲henb眉hl said the measures 国产视频渕ay be required at a time when the agency国产视频檚 services remain essential to Palestine refugees, their rights and their dignity, and when education has been globally recognised as essential to overall human development.国产视频
UNRWA workers held a sit-in at its headquarters in Amman to protest against the possible suspension of the school year.
The agency said it has enough funding to continue its public health services 国产视频 including immunisations for children 国产视频 until the end of 2015.
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