BAGHDAD, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iraq praised on Wednesday China's contribution of two million U.S. dollars over the past two years to provide protection and assistance for the Palestinian refugees in Iraq.
A statement by the UN refugee agency said that over 7,500 Palestinian refugees have benefitted from this contribution in health care, education, and through the rehabilitation of a community center (Haifa Community Centre) in Baghdad.
"The community center for Palestinian refugees and the host community in Baghdad play a major role in helping to foster peaceful co-existence," the statement said.
"The newly improved community hall, nursery, sports facilities and equipment helped in providing a friendly space for community members to have sports activities, family gatherings and a space for social cohesion and interaction among the members of both communities," it added.
"The UNHCR continues to support Palestinian refugees' basic needs through the provision of essential items and projects that promote social cohesion, self-resilience, and access to education," the statement added.
It said that the UNHCR is sharing the burden with donors, and this is exemplified in the support by China.
"Such important contributions allow UNHCR to continue to extend assistance to the refugees in Iraq," it concluded.
In 2017, China provided assistance of two million U.S. dollars to the Palestinian refugees in Iraq through the UNHCR to provide medicine, medical aid and scholarships for Palestine refugees in Iraq in addition to projects like the rehabilitation of Haifa Community Center, also known as Haifa Club.
Haifa Club was built in 1973 for the Palestinian refugees in Baghdad, but was abandoned and parts of its buildings were demolished after the collapse of the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Its soccer field was filled with tents of homeless Palestinian families, who were victims of post-conflict turbulence along with other minorities in Iraq.
