11 countries speed up funding for Palestinians after US cuts
GENEVA -- The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday that Russia, Kuwait and nine European countries have agreed to speed up their contributions to help fill a shortfall left by the Trump administration's decision to greatly reduce crucial US funding.
The Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency also said it has received no specifics about reforms sought by the United States, suggesting politics -- notably surrounding the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital -- were at play.
UNRWA, which serves some 5 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants, had a budget of over $1 billion last year. This covered long-running programs, including education, as well as emergency funds for crises such as the war in Syria.
The US has been the largest donor, giving one-third of the total budget. The Trump administration withheld half of the first installment of payments this year, demanding reforms as a condition for future aid.
