RAMALLAH _ Palestine News Network
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Authority, in separate statements, on Saturday condemned Washington´s decision to cut off aid, rejecting US criticism.
"The agency expresses its deep regret and disappointment at the announcement by the United States that it will stop providing funding to the agency, after decades of unwavering political and financial support," said UNRWA spokesman Chris Gonis in a tweet on the Twitter site.
"We reject in the strongest terms the criticism of UNRWA schools, health centres and emergency assistance programs as being unreformed," he added.
The Secretary of the PLO Executive committee, Saeb Erekat, said, "We categorically reject and denounce this American decision, and the United States of America has no right to abolish UNRWA, which was formed by United Nations General Assembly resolution 302 of 1949, which stipulated That the UN Relief and Works Agency should provide its services in all areas until the refugee issue is resolved in all its aspects. "
In a press statement on Friday night, Erekat said the decision was in contravention of international law and the UN resolution establishing the agency to provide relief to Palestinian refugees.
He stressed that "the United States of America has no right to support and bless the theft of the Palestinian territories, the illegal colonization of the Palestinian territory, the theft of Jerusalem and its annexation to Israel, and it is not entitled to act according to the whims of Sheldon Edelson and Benjamin Netanyahu."
"The decisions of the U.S. administration toward Jerusalem, refugees and settlement represent the destruction of international law, security and stability in the region, and gifts for the forces of extremism and terrorism in the region," Erekat said.
"We ask the countries of the world to reject this decision, and to provide all possible support to UNRWA, in respect of the UN resolution establishing the agency, until the refugee issue is resolved in all its aspects, as stipulated in the resolution," Erekat said.
"UNRWA is not an institution of the Palestinian National Authority, it was created by a resolution of the United Nations, so the entire international community must reject and condemn the American decision and provide all required assistance to UNRWA, to enable it to continue to carry out all its responsibility," Erekat said. Towards Palestinian refugees ".
"UNRWA´s programmes have a proven track record in establishing one of the most successful human development processes and have been impressed by the results in the Middle East, and the international community, our donors and our host countries have praised UNRWA´s continued of achievements and standards.
He stressed that UNRWA will continue to maintain a more determined outreach in order to garner support with existing partners, 20 of whom have so far contributed more money compared to 2017, including the Gulf States, Asia, Europe and other new countries.
