Trump administration’s decision to cut aid slammed by Palestinians

NUSEIRAT REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza — The U.N. Relief and Works Agency, the main body providing aid to millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants across the Middle East, made an urgent appeal for international support Wednesday, one day after the State Department announced it will withhold more than half its annual funding.

“After decades of generous support, dramatic reduction of US funding to @UNRWA results in most critical financial situation in history of Agency,” the agency’s commissioner general, Pierre Krähenbühl, wrote on Twitter. “I call on member states of the United Nations to take a stand & demonstrate to Palestine Refugees that their rights & future matter.”

In a more detailed press statement, Mr. Krähenbühl said the U.S. contribution of $60 million is “dramatically below past levels” and jeopardizes the “dignity and human security of millions of Palestine refugees, in need of emergency food assistance and other support.”

In the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, Zahia Mekdad described the aid cut as “a purely political decision” that would hurt only ordinary people.

“There has already been a reduction of aid in recent years,” she said. “If it is reduced more, it is the women, children and young people who will suffer, not the politicians.”

The U.S. decision to transfer less than half of a planned $125 million installment to the U.N. aid agency makes good on President Donald Trump’s threat earlier this month to withhold funds if the Palestinian Authority seeing it as further refuses to take part in a proof that his administration peace process being prepared is biased toward Israel. by the administration. Following the president’s

The United States pays recognition of Jerusalem as “the PalestiniansIsrael’s capital, the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS have said the United OF DOLLARS a year,” Mr. States is not an honest broker Trump wrote on Twitter. of peace. The announcement “But with the Palestinians has led to unrest in the no longer willing to talk region, with one Israeli and peace, why should we make at least 17 Palestinians any of these massive future killed. payments to them?” In a furious speech on Sunday

The United States provides in Ramallah, Palestinian about $360 million a President Mahmoud Abbas year to UNRWA. The State railed against Israel and Mr. Department made clear Trump, calling the nascent Tuesday that further installments U.S. peace deal the “slap of will also be held “for the century.” Palestinians future consideration.” willslap back, he said.

The Palestinians likened State Department spokeswoman Mr. Trump’s threat to blackmail, Heather Nauert said the aid cut is not aimed at “punishing anyone,” but is more about the administration taking “a look at UNRWA, trying to make sure that the money is best spent, and best spent so that people can get the services.”

She also said the administration felt “there should be more so-called burden sharing to go around.”

The agency provides educational, health and welfare services to Palestinians whose descendants fled or were forced out of their homes when Israel was created 70 years ago. Its refugee camps and other services are located in the occupied West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.