AMMAN - Jordan and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Wednesday highlighted the need for continued cooperation with international partners to provide support for the agency, Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

At a meeting in Amman between Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Comissioner-General of UNRWA Pierre Krahenbuhl, the two sides agreed on a work program in coordination with partners in the international community. The program aims to make up the expected deficit in the agency’s budget this year which is estimated to reach 200 million US dollars.

Safadi underlined the importance of providing the necessary financial support to the UNRWA to ensure its services to more than 5 million refugees. The minister said the lack of support for UNRWA would deprive 570,000 Palestinian students of their right to education and millions of the ill from treatment.

Last year, a number of countries managed to reduce the agency’s deficit from about 446 million dollars to fewer than 20 million dollars. For his part, Krahenbuhl expressed his deep appreciation for the efforts led by Jordan in supporting the agency and protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees.