Arab, Islamic states berated by US over Palestinian aid
UNITED NATIONS: United States envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley yesterday slammed Arab and Islamic states for talking a lot about supporting Palestinians but not giving more money to help, calling out countries such as Egypt, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Haley listed how much those countries, along with Algeria, Tunisia, Pakistan, Oman, Iran and Turkey, had given — or not given — to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which helps Palestinian refugees. The United States, long the biggest donor, cut its aid to $US60 million ($NZ88.23 million) from a promised $US365 million this year.
‘‘No group of countries is more generous with their words than the Palestinians’ Arab neighbours, and other OIC member states,’’ Haley told a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East, citing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
‘‘But all of the words spoken here in New York do not feed, clothe or educate a single Pales tinian child. All they do is get the international community riled up,’’ she said.
Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour said Haley had insulted US allies ‘‘in an arrogant way’’.
Haley also called out China and Russia for talking ‘‘a big game about the Palestinian cause’’ but providing only $US350,000 and $US2 million respectively to UNRWA in 2017. China’s UN ambassador, Ma Zhaoxu, told the council: ‘‘We have no intention of competing with any other countries.’’
Haley said it was time for the ‘‘regional states in particular to step up’’.
According to IRIN, a nonprofit that reports on humanitarian issues, the UAE and Kuwait were ranked in the top five most generous aid donors compared with national income globally in 2017, while the United States came in at 16.
‘‘Sometimes the numbers and facts talk for themselves,’’ Kuwait’s UN Ambassador, Mansour alOtaibi, said.