Touring UNRWA’s facilities in the Jordanian capital along with Spanish Ambassador Miguel de Lucas and other officials, Mr. Collboni underscored the "cruelly serious” humanitarian situation in Gaza , where famine was confirmed last week. 

The Government of Israel blocked all food and other supplies from entering the Gaza Strip at the beginning of March and has only allowed a restricted amount to be brought in since May. It maintains a total ban on supplies from UNRWA, the largest UN humanitarian agency operating on the ground. UNRWA continues to provide healthcare and other services there, in the face of severe challenges.

"Barcelona joins the denunciations made by many countries and cities worldwide regarding this fact, and in addition, we will double our contribution from 200,000 euros to 400,000 euros for the purchase of medicines, food, and to strengthen healthcare support for doctors and nurses in Gaza,” Mr. Collboni said.

UNRWA has almost 900 truckloads of aid in Jordan – including food, medical supplies, tents and mattresses - that could start moving within days if the Government of Israel lifted its ban, and thousands more in Egypt.

"At this moment there are more than 6,000 trucks unable to deliver food and medicine into Gaza, despite a declared famine. We want to denounce this, and moreover, we want to put forward the material means to alleviate it and to help those people who right now cannot eat or drink. This moment what is urgent and necessary is to ensure that families, children, and more than one and a half million people currently isolated in the Gaza Strip have access to medicine and food,” said Mr. Collboni.

Barcelona City Council has provided financial contributions to UNRWA since 2012. Alongside funding from governments, support from municipal authorities around the world has been important in helping UNRWA continue to provide services for Palestine Refugees. Besides Jordan and the Gaza Strip, UNRWA works in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as Lebanon and Syria.

"UNRWA sincerely thanks the Mayor of Barcelona for his generous and continued support, which strengthens our ability to deliver education, health and social services to Palestine Refugees at a time the Agency is facing the most serious financial crisis in its history. We thank him for his genuine concern about the famine unfolding in Gaza and for visiting our warehouses in Jordan that hold nearly 900 trucks of food and medicines ready to be delivered to Gaza, enough to support around two million people for three months. In these times of dire hardship, committed partners like Barcelona remain vital to protecting the dignity of Palestine Refugees ,” said Olaf Becker, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan.

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