UNRWA reaches out to Palestinian refugees in Madaba, Karak

AMMAN — “No Palestine refugee should be deprived from the UNRWA services,” said the director of UNRWA operations in Jordan, Roger Davies, during his speech at the inauguration ceremonies of an “eligibility and registration office” in Karak and the new health centre in Madaba on Thursday.

“In particular we are aiming at vulnerable individuals who might be unable to travel to seek UNRWA services provided in camps, where the transportation cost might inhibit some of them to take such a trip, whilst others’ health conditions may keep them from seeking UNRWA services,” Davies was quoted in an UNRWA statement as saying. 

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) celebrated the inauguration of its first eligibility and registration office in Manshiyet Abu Hammour in Karak Governorate, and also the inauguration of Madaba Health Centre. 

Part of its continuous efforts is to facilitate providing services to Palestinian refugees living in areas relatively remote from the Agency’s service centres, as recent UNRWA surveys indicated that a significant number of beneficiaries reside in Karak and Madaba governorates.

The registration and entitlement office in Manshiyet Abu Hammour will serve some 12,000 Palestinian refugees living in Karak Governorate, who have been accustomed to visiting agency’s offices either in Aqaba or in south Amman area, Wehdat office. 

Davies stressed the fundamental role of local community and its partnership with UNRWA. 

He expressed his gratitude for the support provided by the Mansheyet Abu Hammour Sports Club, which provided the necessary office space for UNRWA’s Relief and Social Services Department staff.

Simultaneously, UNRWA celebrated the inauguration of Madaba Health Centre, with the grant of the Saudi Fund for Development for the rehabilitation of a building provided to UNRWA by the camp committee.

The centre aims at providing healthcare services for Palestinian refugees suffering from non-communicable diseases, in addition to providing dental treatment on Saturdays every week for beneficiaries living in Madaba Governorate and surroundings.

In his remarks, Davies noted that UNRWA’s recent surveys indicated that a significant number of UNRWA health service beneficiaries were treated for diabetes and hypertension in the health centres at Talbiyehand Wihdat camps. 

UNRWA has been working with the government and the Madaba Camp Services Committee to allocate a proper office space for the health centre, while the Saudi Fund for Development funded the rehabilitation of the building and the medical equipment required for the centre that will serve approximately 39,000 beneficiaries, according to the statement.

He also stressed that UNRWA seeks to facilitate access to health and relief services, in order to reduce the economic burden on Palestinian refugees, in particular the transportation burden that forces them to travel far from their areas of residence, and might sometimes need to reach other governorates. He also noted that some refugees might not be able to take such a trip for health reasons or financial.

 “The Jordanian government continues to support UNRWA, [and] its mandate and to provide the necessary support for the Agency to extend its services, reaching to Palestine refugee across the Kingdom,” the director general of the Department of Palestinian Affairs, Awad Abu Yassin, was quoted in the statement as saying.

Abu Yassin stressed that such support for the agency is aimed at preserving the Palestinian refugee cause. “It is unacceptable that UNRWA mandate or services are provided by any other organisation or agency than UNRWA,” he said.

Davies, on behalf of UNRWA and Palestinian refugees, expressed his gratitude to the agency’s partners for their continued support. 

“The inauguration of the registration office and the health centre in two governorates is a clear sign of the successful partnership and complementary role between UNRWA and its partners, to provide better quality and more effective services to Palestine refugees in various governorates within Jordan.”