AMMAN — The
Belgian Minister of Development Cooperation and Major Cities Policy, Meryame
Kitir, visited the Baqaa Palestinian Refugee Camp Monday to inspect United
Nations Relief and Works Agency (
UNRWA) installations, according to a press
statement
اضافة اعلان
Kitir was
accompanied by the Ambassador of Belgium to Jordan Filip Vanden Bulcke, the
minister’s chief of staff, Anke van Lancker, the diplomatic advisor of the minister
Bart De Wolf, as well as Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan Marta
Lorenzo, and UNRWA staff.
Minister Kitir was briefed on the progress made
by the government-led equitable COVID-19 vaccination campaign currently being
implemented at three UNRWA health centers, which are Baqaa, Zarqa and
Irbid.
During a visit of UNRWA’s Baqaa girls
school,
the delegation was briefed about the state of the Palestinian refugee
population in Jordan and recent developments in UNRWA operations across the
Middle East. Special attention was paid to the vulnerabilities faced by
ex-Gazan refugees and Palestinian refugees from Syria.
Highlighted were
UNRWA’s adaptation of operations to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the
agency’s priorities to better address the needs of Palestinian refugees, with a
focus on the Education in Emergencies (EiE) program which UNRWA adopted during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The EiE aimed to
ensure that refugee children can continue benefit from their right to quality,
safe and inclusive education amidst crisis and conflict. The Kingdom of Belgium
has been offering vital support to the program since 2016.
The delegation observed first hand UNRWA’s COVID
19 response in action at the agency’s Baqaa health center, where they were briefed
on how UNRWA’s Health Program ensures service continuity by investing in
digitization, all while abiding by protective measures. Digitization includes
smart phone applications and telemedicine services to ensure that refugees
receive quality health care safely, avoiding gatherings and overcrowding.
“I am very impressed by what the many staff
members of UNRWA have managed to achieve here every day. They have done a great
deal to enable young people to continue to benefit from education despite the
coronavirus. With their efforts to vaccinate people inside the camp, they make
a huge difference in the fight against this pandemic,” the minister said.
Marta Lorenzo, director
of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan, said: "We were delighted to have Minister Kitir
visit Baqaa Camp today. The Kingdom of Belgium has always been a strong
supporter of the agency by contributing to education, health care and social
services to help empower Palestinian refugees and advocate for their wellbeing
and dignity."
At the end of her
visit, Kitir met UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, who thanked her
for Belgium’s strong commitment and support to UNRWA’s operations. The two
sides discussed ways to further enhance cooperation between Belgium and UNRWA,
and strategies to ensure effective continued support to provide vital health,
education, and relief services to Palestine refugees.
Belgium is amongst UNRWA’s most reliable and
committed partners, supporting the Agency for decades, including as a member of
the UNRWA Advisory Commission since 1953. In 2020, Belgium was the Agency’s
17th largest donor, contributing EUR 11.25 million.
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