Sweden has announced an increase in its annual contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) budget to $40.6 million, up by a 15% increase.

According to an UNRWA press release issued Tuesday, Sweden’s support to the UNRWA emergency appeal would also be announced later on this year.

This came as Sweden’s Consul General Ann-Sofie Nilsson reiterated her country’s commitment to the well-being of the Palestinian refugees, saying, “The decision to increase our core funding to UNRWA shows the great importance that Sweden attaches to the Agency and its work with the Palestinian refugees.”

On a visit to the Ama'ri refugee camp in Ramallah on the occasion of the announcement of the annual contribution, Nilsson met with Palestinian refugees in the camp and discussed issues relating to protection and women’s empowerment.

Between 1993 and 2016, the Swedish contribution to the UNRWA Programme Budget amounted to more than US$ 693 million, including the latest contribution of US$ 40.6 million, according to the international organization.

(WAFA)