Italy To Resume Funding For UN Agency For Palestinian Refugees

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published May 25, 2024 | 03:10 PM

Rome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th May, 2024) Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on Saturday that Rome would resume funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), at a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa.

"Italy has decided to resume financing specific projects intended for assistance to Palestinian refugees but only after rigorous controls that guarantee that not even a penny risks ending up supporting terrorism," he said.

Mustafa was also scheduled to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on what was his first trip to Europe since being appointed by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in March.

Tajani, whose country holds the G7 presidency this year, offered his government's "full support" to the Palestinian Authority.

"We are also committed as a G7 presidency to working towards a period of peace. We strongly ask for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza," he said.

Tajani said he had informed Mustafa that Rome had "arranged new funding for the Palestinian population, of a total of 35 million Euros ($38 million)".

"Of this, five million will be allocated to UNRWA," he said.

The remaining 30 million euros will be allocated to Italy's "food for Gaza" initiative in coordination with UN aid agencies.