The US government once again allocated funds to the Palestine Refugee Assistance Organization of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. It was established in 1949 for those Palestinians who fled their homes, villages and cities due to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Nearly 6 million Palestinians depend on aid.
Foreign Minister Brinken said: “The United States is pleased to announce that we will resume economic, humanitarian and development assistance to the Palestinians.” The US government allocated nearly 200 million euros for this. UNRWA received 126 million euros, economic and development assistance received 63 million euros, and peace promotion projects received 8.5 million euros.
This decision is not unexpected. Biden has said during his campaign that he will overturn many decisions made by his predecessor Trump.
Streak by helping
President Trump Zette In 2018 Almost all aid to the Palestinians has ceased. This was interpreted as an attempt to force Palestinian leaders to enter the negotiating table. The Palestinians were angry because Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and demanded that the US embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Therefore, the Palestinians refused to cooperate in Trump’s efforts to resolve the conflict with Israel.
Trump subsequently withdrew his financial contributions to UNRWA. At that time, this amount reached nearly 310 million euros per year.
Annotation
The Palestinian Authority, which has some form of autonomy in parts of the West Bank, welcomed the decision of the Biden administration and expressed the hope that “very important support” will continue.
The United Nations also welcomes this decision. “Many countries have greatly reduced their contributions to UNRWA. We hope that the US decision will encourage other countries to participate again.”
The enthusiasm of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not high. A spokesperson said that UNRWA is perpetuating the conflict, rather than working with a solution.