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Home Archive 18/January/2018 11:23 AM

American Arab group condemns US cut in aid to UN agency

 

WASHINGTON, January 18, 2018 (WAFA) - The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) strongly condemned on Wednesday the US cut of $65 million in funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which provides education and healthcare to millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

“This abrupt cut in funding has created an existential crisis for UNRWA,” said ADC in a statement.

At stake is the education of more than 525,000 students, primary health care for millions, and the provision of emergency relief, including food assistance to one million refugees in Gaza.  As UNRWA’s largest donor, this massive reduction in funding may lead to widespread school closures and the closing of clinics. No other UN or other international organization has the scale or scope to absorb UNRWA’s activities.

“The United States should not hold hostage humanitarian funding to achieve political objectives. All humanitarian aid should be provided on the basis of need,” said ADC.

“In every other humanitarian and refugee context, the United States provides humanitarian assistance to those who are displaced from conflict on the basis of their need as civilians and never to achieve political gains.  It should be no different with URNWA.  No matter the US bilateral relationship with the Palestinian Authority, UNRWA should not be a bargaining chip.  It is an independent agency, not a Palestinian institution.  Holding hostage vulnerable refugees to extract ignoble concessions from the weaker party is not the behavior any American should be proud of.”

M.K.

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