Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BERN7
2009-01-07 13:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bern
Cable title:  

SWISS RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR DONATIONS TO UNRWA'S

Tags:  EAID PGOV PREL PHUM LE UNRWA SZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0004
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSW #0007 0071326
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071326Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5584
UNCLAS BERN 000007 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM/ANE (M.RAMGOOLIE),NEA/IPA (S.HANKINS),AND
EUR/CE (Y.SAINT-ANDRE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL PHUM LE UNRWA SZ
SUBJECT: SWISS RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR DONATIONS TO UNRWA'S
GAZA FLASH APPEAL

REF: SECSTATE 135559

UNCLAS BERN 000007

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM/ANE (M.RAMGOOLIE),NEA/IPA (S.HANKINS),AND
EUR/CE (Y.SAINT-ANDRE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL PHUM LE UNRWA SZ
SUBJECT: SWISS RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR DONATIONS TO UNRWA'S
GAZA FLASH APPEAL

REF: SECSTATE 135559


1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel message on January 5 to
Thomas Oertle, Desk Officer for Israeli-Palestinian affairs
in the Middle East and Africa Division of the Swiss
Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). Oertle explained that
Switzerland already was providing CHF 4 million (USD 3.8
million) in financial support for humanitarian aid to the
civilian population of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He
noted that these funds were divided equally between the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).


2. (SBU) Oertle further clarified that, of the CHF 4 million
in Swiss funding, the CHF 2 million (USD 1.9 million) for
UNRWA was earmarked for UNWRA's Emergency Appeal under the
2009 Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP),not for UNRWA's
recent Flash Appeal. He remarked that the Emergency Appeal
was "chronically underfunded." With reference to the Flash
Appeal, Oertle said that the EDA, and specifically the Swiss
Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC),was still
evaluating the possibility of increasing its contributions to
UNRWA. He noted, however, that any such increase likely
would be within the framework of the regular UNRWA Emergency
Appeal.
CARTER