Turkey transferred $10 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in addition to its yearly voluntary contribution to the agency, the Foreign Ministry announced on yesterday.

The Foreign Ministry said the contribution "will support the uninterrupted continuation of the agency's services, such as health and education provided to 5.3 million Palestinian refugees," in a statement, as reported by Anadolu Agency (AA). "In our efforts to alleviate the current financial problems of the agency, we also continue our contributions in other areas. These include the increase of our flour aid to UNRWA to 26,000 tons and a national donation campaign for Palestinians that was launched by the Prime Ministry on May 18," the statement said. The ministry also announced that Turkey will grant $1.2 million to the World Health Organization for its use in situations requiring urgent medical assistance, following the recent incidents at the Gaza Strip. "Turkey will continue its contributions to support a dignified and humane life for our Palestinian brothers and sisters, in the period ahead. We will also stand for the Palestinian Cause in all platforms," the ministry said.

The U.N. agency for Palestine refugees faces an unprecedented crisis since the United States has frozen tens of millions of dollars in funding after blackmailing Palestinians with financial aid threat. The agency only has enough funds to keep schools and medical services open until May, Commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl told Agence France-Presse (AFP) at the Rome conference held in March.