Stand Up for Palestinian Refugees by Telling Congress to Fund UNRWA

posted on: Mar 15, 2011

In the coming weeks, the House of Representatives is expected to debate, and very possibly cut or even eliminate, vital American funding for the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA). UNRWA provides critical programs and services, such as education, health care, vocational training, and emergency relief, to nearly 5 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. In its own words, UNRWA helps Palestinian refugees “acquire knowledge and skills, lead long and healthy lives, achieve decent standards of living, and enjoy human rights to the fullest possible extent.”

The U.S. is UNRWA’s largest donor, and has been since UNRWA’s founding more than 60 years ago. Cutting American support for UNRWA would hurt Palestinians and the United States. As Ambassador Philip C. Wilcox recently stated, “A retreat from America’s leadership in funding UNRWA would be foolish and damaging to U.S. interests and credibility. At a tumultuous turning point in the Middle East…America needs to reinforce its investment in human development and more dignified lives for Middle Easterners. Keeping faith with America’s historic commitment to UNRWA is an essential way to confirm our nation’s commitment to these ideals.”

<a href=”http://www.aaper.org/c.quIXL8MPJpE/b.6606177/k.3AA6/Support_Palestinian_Refugees_by_Funding_UNRWA/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx”>Please Act Now to Urge your Member of Congress to Maintain Full U.S. Funding for UNRWA and its Vital Programs.</a>