[Hurriyet Daily News] Global powers will gather in Rome on March 15 to discuss the future of the U.N. agency for Paleostinian refugees, which faces an unprecedented crisis after the U.S. froze tens of millions of dollars in funding.The United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) only has enough funds to keep schools and medical services open until May, its commissioner general Pierre Krahenbuhl told AFP.
U.S. President Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
’s administration has so far committed only $60 million to the agency this year, down from $360 million in 2017. He has frozen two planned payments worth more than $100 million - one for UNRWA’s central budget and one for food aid.
Trump continues to pressure the Paleostinians to end their boycott of his administration sparked by his December recognition of the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
A major funding drive launched by UNRWA after the U.S. freeze has raised little new money and diplomats are not optimistic about getting major pledges in the Italian capital.
| Guess the Palestinians aren’t nearly as important as the fussing makes them seem. |
Fear is rife about the future of the organization that employs more than 20,000 people across the Middle East, the vast majority Paleostinians.
UNRWA was established after the war surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948 when around 700,000 Paleostinians were expelled or fled.It offers vital support for these refugees and their descendants in Syria, Leb, Jordan and the West Bank and Gazoo, providing services for more than three million people.
This includes education for around half a million students, with nearly 30 percent of its funding coming from the United States.
In January, Trump tweeted "we pay the Paleostinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect," accusing them of walking away from peace negotiations.
Two weeks later his administration confirmed it would hold back tens of millions in aid to UNRWA, saying it wanted the rest of the world to pay more.