FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 6, 2023

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

WASHINGTON DC – Today, 23 major civil society organizations, led by the UNRWA USA National Committee (UNRWA USA), wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the immediate obligation of the $75 million in food assistance to refugees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip provided by Congress in the FY2023 State, Foreign Operations appropriations bill.

"We are encouraged by the continuing demonstration of support for Palestine refugees from across the spectrum of American civil society actors, including the more than 1,500 individuals who have sent personal letters," stated Mara Kronenfeld, Executive Director of UNRWA USA. By appealing to Secretary Blinken to override Senator Risch's hold, we are holding him accountable to his own words at the UN Security Council where he rightly noted that "food should not be used as a weapon of war, for leverage, or political purposes."

The funds are being blocked from obligation by Senator James Risch of Idaho, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to whom these organizations wrote in June. If Senator Risch's hold is not lifted or overridden soon by Secretary Blinken, Gaza faces a devastating humanitarian crisis when more than 1.2 million Palestine refugees, including hundreds of thousands of children, will be left without food.

"Using hunger as political leverage is not what we do as Americans," remarked Madeleine Cereghino, Director of Government Relations at Americans for Peace Now. Roxana Bendezú from Pax Christi USA added, "Refugees in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip deserve to live lives with dignity, and that starts with the nourishment of their bodies."

In its letter to Secretary Blinken, the group observed that "while we appreciate the Department's extension of a notification courtesy to the Congress, we are sure you agree it does not supersede the necessity to follow the terms set forth in Division K of P.L. 117-328."

Organizations that signed the letter include UNRWA USA National Committee, Anera, Oxfam America, Refugees International, American Baptist Churches USA, American Friends Service Committee, Arab American Institute, Americans for Peace Now, Churches for Middle East Peace, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Islamic Relief USA, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, J Street, National Council of Churches, Reformed Church in America, Pax Christi USA, Alliance of Baptists, Migrant Roots Media, Mennonite Central Committee U.S., Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, The Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

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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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