The European Commission and UNRWA said yesterday that the EC would donate an additional 5 million euros in food assistance to Arabs living in refugee camps in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. So far, the EC has given 40 million euros for the food program. This is in addition to the European Union's "regular" annual donation to the UNRWA General Fund, which amounted to 66 million euros this year. Since 2000, UNRWA said, the EC has given the organization more than one billion euros.
The latest contribution is slated to purchase for some 130,000 residents of refugee camps rice, vegetable oil, whole milk powder, sugar, lentils and tuna, comprising 30% of refugees' daily caloric intake on average, a UNRWA statement said.