FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 1, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT:
Laila Mokhiber
Director of Communications
laila@unrwausa.org
(202) 223-3767 

WASHINGTON DC – In a decisive move just ahead of the September 30th deadline, United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken obligated $75 million in previously appropriated congressional funding earmarked to UNRWA to continue its food assistance program for Palestine refugees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

UNRWA USA, alongside dozens of partner organizations and thousands of Americans, advocated since July for these funds to be released to forestall a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. These funds will directly benefit over one million Palestine refugees in Gaza who rely on UNRWA's food assistance programs for almost 60 percent of their daily caloric needs.

UNRWA USA Executive Director, Mara Kronenfeld, shared, "The obligation of this funding is a literal lifeline for thousands of Palestine refugee families in Gaza who face certain starvation if this critical UNRWA program were to cease. We are grateful for Secretary Blinken's decision and our heartfelt thanks go out to our many partners and the thousands of Americans who joined our advocacy campaign. Your compassion and your actions made all the difference."

We hope that going forward the United States government will continue to demonstrate leadership in ensuring the well-being and dignity of Palestine refugees in the region by continuing its long-standing partnership with UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

For more information about UNRWA USA and its advocacy efforts, please visit unrwausa.org.

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UNRWA USA National Committee (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 in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA USA lifts up the voices, experiences, and humanity of Palestine refugees to secure American support for resources essential to every human being, for the promise of a better life. US taxpayers are eligible for tax deductions for donations made through UNRWA USA. 

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