Spanish foreign minister visits Talbiyeh camp for Palestinian refugees

AMMAN — The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain Josep Borrell paid a visit to an UNRWA-run health centre in Talbiyeh refugee camp in the south of Amman.

The UNRWA Talbiyeh health centre provides primary healthcare to over 10,000 people and covers a wide range of services, such as maternal and child healthcare, treatment of chronic diseases, as well as mental and psychosocial care, a statement from the Spanish embassy in Jordan said.

Borrell highlighted the essential role that UNRWA plays in supporting 10,000 Palestine refugees in the camp, according to the statement.

Borrell was accompanied by Spanish Ambassador to Jordan Aránzazu Bañón Dávalos and Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan Sallee Gregory, who briefed the Spanish delegation on the situation of Palestinian refugees in Jordan, namely those who live in and around Talbiyeh camp.

Earlier this year, the Spanish embassy in Jordan started covering the operating costs of two UNRWA health centres in the Talbiyeh and Madaba refugee camps. This support was made possible through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, according to the statement.

Sallee expressed her gratitude to Spain, saying, “We are very grateful for the extraordinary efforts by the government of Spain to support the agency, and truly value the role that Spain plays in advocating for Palestine refugees. Just one look at this health centre will show that every euro invested was well spent on the health and dignity of these patients.”

In 2018, the government of Spain, various autonomous communities, city councils, the Spanish private sector and individuals contributed over 19.5 million euros to UNRWA, helping the agency survive its largest budgetary deficit to date, the statement said.

UNRWA in Jordan provided some 1,613,786 healthcare consultations from 26 health centres across the country.