Cry me a river UN!
17 January 2018 – The decision by the United States to withhold more than half its annual funding commitment to the United Nations relief agency providing aid for Palestine refugees threatens “one of the most successful and innovative human development endeavours in the Middle-East,†the head of the body said Wednesday, warning that the rights and dignity of an entire community are at stake.
In a statement Wednesday, Pierre Krähenbühl, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, said that US government announced a contribution of $60 million for the UN agency, down from $350 million total contribution by the country in 2017.
The reduction has endangered the agency’s programmes across the region, he added.
“At stake is the access of 525,000 boys and girls in 700 UNRWA schools, and their future. At stake is the dignity and human security of millions of Palestine refugees [and] access of refugees to primary health care, including pre-natal care and other life-saving services,†added Mr. Krähenbühl in the statement.
He further noted that the reduced contribution “also impacts regional security at a time when the Middle East faces multiple risks and threats, notably that of further radicalization.â€
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=58437#.Wl_VQTdMFPY