JORDAN-UNRWA PROTEST Protests in Jordan as millions face delay in school year due to funding crisis

Record ID: 144290

  • Title: JORDAN-UNRWA PROTEST Protests in Jordan as millions face delay in school year due to funding crisis
  • Date: 12th August 2015
  • Summary: AMMAN, JORDAN (AUGUST 12, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS HOLDING POSTERS SIGN READING (Arabic): "KEEPING CHILDREN FROM SCHOOLS KILLS THE DREAM OF THE RIGHT OF RETURN" CHILDREN HOLDING SIGNS READING (English): "EDUCATION IS MY LIFE, SO DON'T KILL ME" AND "I HAVE THE RIGHT TO RETURN" PROTESTERS HOLDING UP SIGNS SIGN READING (Arabic): "DON'T PREVENT ME FROM WEARING MY UNIFORM" HEAD OF THE WORKERS ALLIANCE AT UNRWA, RIYAD ZEEKHAN, SPEAKING AT THE PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF THE WORKERS ALLIANCE AT UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY (UNRWA), RIYAD ZEEKHAN, SAYING: "Until this moment, there has been no official announcement of donations that can make up for the deficit. So we are expecting that within the next 48 hours an announcement will be made detailing the delay (of the school year) if the international community is unable to raise funds." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CLAPPING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF THE TEACHERS UNION IN JORDAN, HUSAM MASHA, SAYING: "We are here today to affirm the teacher's union's support of our brothers at the relief agency, and we assert that the right of the student to education is sacred, and there is no way we will accept that this right be neglected. We also assert that these actions are directly targeting the Palestinian cause." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS HOLDING UP PEACE SIGN VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS
  • Embargoed: 27th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Jordan
  • Country: Jordan
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADK2H9PLM2REBQ80WQLSP5OF0K
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hundreds of people took to the streets of the Jordanian capital Amman on Wednesday (August 12) to protest against a funding crisis at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
    The agency provides help and protection to some 5 million registered Palestinian refugees.
    Most of Jordan's seven million citizens are of Palestinian origin, they or their parents having been expelled or fled to Jordan in the fighting that accompanied the creation of Israel in 1948.
    Aid cuts will affect the agency's operations in the region, which include schools and health facilities.
    The agency warned last week that a shortfall of $101 million could result in a delay in the school year for half a million students attending 700 schools across the Middle East, unless funds were secured by mid-August.
    "Until this moment, there has been no official announcement of donations that can make up the deficit. So we are expecting that within the next 48 hours an announcement will be made detailing the delay (of the school year) if the international community is unable to raise funds," said Riyad Zeekhan, head of the workers alliance at UNRWA.
    The delay would affect 118,000 children in Jordan, as well as 5,000 teachers.
    The head of the teachers union in Jordan attended the protest.
    "We are here today to affirm the teachers union's support of our brothers at the relief agency, and we assert that the right of the student to education is sacred, and there is no way we will accept that this right be neglected. We also assert that these actions are directly targeting the Palestinian cause," said Husam Masha.
    U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said UNRWA was "a pillar of stability" for Palestinian refugees and called for urgent donations to cover the critical shortfall in funding, in a statement on Tuesday (August 4).
    UNRWA's operational budget in the Middle East is about $680 million a year.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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