FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2020

CONTACT:
Laila Mokhiber, Director of Communications
laila@unrwausa.org

WASHINGTON — Mara Kronenfeld, Executive Director of the UNRWA USA National Committee (UNRWA USA), issued the following statement thanking House and Senate lawmakers for writing to Secretary Pompeo urging him to immediately reinstate humanitarian assistance to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): 

“These letters are an important reminder the U.S. government already has funding available for immediate obligation to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza, including through the Migration and Refugee Assistance program and the Economic Support Fund. The use of these funds requires neither additional legislative language nor supplemental appropriations. The administration must act immediately to ensure assistance reaches some of the world’s most vulnerable populations facing this pandemic.”

On March 26, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen spearheaded a letter to Secretary Mike Pompeo, signed by eight other senators, stating: “The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented health, diplomatic, and economic threat, and it is in the national security interest of the United States and in the interest of the Palestinian people and our ally Israel, where there are more than 1,200 confirmed cases, to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the Palestinian Territories.” 

On March 27, 15 members of the House, led by Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and David Price (D-NC), followed suit requesting “the State Department immediately reinstate assistance to Palestinian civilians, already appropriated by Congress in FY2020 through established funding channels, to help the beleaguered health system confront the coronavirus pandemic. The President’s outreach to North Korea and Iran is a welcome signal that the Administration is able to put politics aside in the interest of assisting vulnerable populations in need during this global health crisis.”  

Kronenfeld added: “Working closely with host authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO), UNRWA’s 3,300 staff at 144 health centers are on the frontlines combating and responding to the spread of the virus across the Middle East. Despite being exposed to the risk of infection, they continue to work to protect the life of millions of Palestine refugees. But UNRWA is responding to this new health threat amidst a serious and ongoing financial crisis. If the Agency does not secure additional funding in the next several weeks, it will be forced to take painful measures that will affect the delivery of services, including health care services. The State Department’s March 26 fact sheet on the U.S. response to COVID-19 indicates no funding for the West Bank, Gaza Strip, or UNRWA.”

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ABOUT UNRWA USA

UNRWA USA is an independent nonprofit organization that provides support for the humanitarian work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). UNRWA USA aims to educate the general American public about the situation of Palestine refugees and generate support for UNRWA’s programs. US taxpayers are eligible for tax deductions for donations made through UNRWA USA.
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