Turkey supports UNRWA schools in Jordan through TIKA — minister

AMMAN — The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Jordan and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) have opened the UNRWA Amman New Camp Preparatory Girls’ School 1 and 2 after comprehensive renovation and furnishing works of the school were completed.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mohammad Nuri Ersoy, TIKA President Serkan Kayalar, Turkish Ambassador to Jordan Murat Karagöz, UNRWA Acting Deputy Commissioner-General Christian Saunders and the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan Mohammed Adar, in the presence of the Director-General of the Department of Palestinian Affairs and the school’s students and teachers, according to a statement issued by UNRWA.

“Turkey will continue to stand by the Palestinian people. TIKA's office in Jordan was established in 2015 and provides services in different fields including education, agriculture and health,” the statement quoted Ersoy as saying.

“UNRWA wishes to sincerely thank Turkey for its support to Palestine refugees, of which the latest was renovating this school and providing students with newly rehabilitated classrooms and new furniture to welcome the 2019/2020 school year,” Saunders said.

Saunders added that such support comes at a critical time, pointing out the financial deficit UNRWA is facing and affirming the importance of Turkey's support for Palestine refugees in Jordan and protecting their right to education.

In 2018, UNRWA and TIKA signed an agreement to renovate the UNRWA Amman New Camp Girls’ School 1 and 2, located in Amman New Camp, locally known as Wehdat, which hosts over 58,000 Palestine refugees in 0.48 square kilometres, read the statement.

On September 1, some 120,000 students in 169 UNRWA schools in Jordan returned back to their schools despite the financial challenges facing the agency, the statement said. 

Through the help of supporters such as Turkey and TIKA, UNRWA has continued its provision of quality education and healthcare to Palestine refugees, sending a strong and positive message to the world, the statement said.

TIKA is an international development agency established in 1992 under the Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry to focus on development collaboration, the statement said, adding that in 2016, a TIKA office was officially opened in Amman.