Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi Saturday met with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl on the sidelines of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Abu Dhabi.

Safadi and the UNRWA Chief reviewed steps taken by Jordan and the UN refugee agency with the international community to secure funding to offset the UNRWA budget deficit and warned of the serious consequences of the agency's inability to provide vital services to Palestinian refugees in its areas of operations.

The foreign minister stressed an OIC proposal to set up a Waqf (endowment) development fund to meet UNRWA's financial needs to carry out its role towards refugees in line with its UN mandate as a humanitarian necessity, and as a message that the world had not forgotten the plight of refugees that should be solved within a comprehensive settlement to the conflict according to international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, and fulfill their right of return and compensation.

Safadi warned that the failure to secure funding means depriving millions of refugees of their right to education and healthcare, and would deepen their humanitarian suffering.

The UNRWA Chief updated Safadi on the agency's financial situation and the challenges posed by the funding shortfall, which threatens its ability to live up to its duties towards the refugees, commending Jordan's efforts to find effective solutions to the agency's financial challenges and rally international support for it.

Separately, the Foreign Minister and his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid discussed bilateral relations and stressed a common interest in expanding economic, trade and tourism cooperation.

They also reviewed regional developments and stressed the need for more coordination on issues of mutual interest within the OIC framework.