Palestinian PM: 'International community must continue to support refugees'
Palestinian PM: 'International community must continue to support refugees'
Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah has asked for guarantees that Palestinian refugees will continue to receive support.
1 min read
Palestinian refugees rely on support from UNRWA (Getty)
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah stressed on Sunday the need for the international community to take a clear stand on UNRWA, the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees to ensure the body is properly financed.
The statement was issued during a meeting with the Commissioner-General of UNRWA Pierre Krahenbuhl at his office in Ramallah on Sunday.
Hamdallah said that threats by the US to change its policy of funding UNRWA was a blatant violation of the Palestinian refugee issue, and will affect the stability of the entire region.
Last Tuesday, US President Donald Trump admitted the Middle East peace process was in difficulty and threatened to cut US aid to Palestinians, currently worth more than $300 million a year.
"We pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect," he tweeted.
"With the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?"
It was not immediately clear whether Trump was threatening all of the budget, worth $319 million in 2016, according to US government figures.
The statement was issued during a meeting with the Commissioner-General of UNRWA Pierre Krahenbuhl at his office in Ramallah on Sunday.
Hamdallah said that threats by the US to change its policy of funding UNRWA was a blatant violation of the Palestinian refugee issue, and will affect the stability of the entire region.
Last Tuesday, US President Donald Trump admitted the Middle East peace process was in difficulty and threatened to cut US aid to Palestinians, currently worth more than $300 million a year.
"We pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect," he tweeted.
"With the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?"
It was not immediately clear whether Trump was threatening all of the budget, worth $319 million in 2016, according to US government figures.