On this day of solidarity, I would like to call upon your generosity to further increase Indonesia`s support."Banda Aceh, Aceh Darussalam (ANTARA News) - Aunur Rofiq Lil Firdaus (Opick), Indonesian singer and writer of Islamic songs, held a charity concert for Palestine here on Sunday.
"Palestinian people needs help from all over the world including from Aceh," he told thousands of his audience.
Opick sang a number of religious songs, and between the songs he explained about the suffering of Palestinian people.
The organizing committee collected at least Rp900 million and some goods from the concert.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has called on Indonesia to increase its contribution as the agency is facing a funding shortfall of US$37 million until the end of the year, an UNRWA spokesperson has said.
"If funds are not forthcoming, we will not be able to pay the salaries of teachers, medical personnel, social workers and other staff in December, which will bring our operations to a standstill," Esther Kuish Laroche, the chief of UNRWAs Donor Relations Division, said in her keynote speech at the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in Jakarta on Thursday.
She noted that the Indonesian government had, in 2012, increased its contribution to UNRWA from US$20 thousand to US$100 thousand.
"We are grateful for that. On this day of solidarity, I would like to call upon your generosity to further increase Indonesias support. I look forward to seeing our relationship deepen and grow further," Esther Kuish, who is based in Jerusalem, added, while praising Indonesia for its solidarity with the Palestinians for several decades.
She said the Palestinian refugee population has grown from 750,000 to more than five million people living across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank. (*)
(Uu.F001/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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