Biden Administration Restores Aid To Palestinians Reversed By Trump

The Biden administration has announced $235 million in aid to Palestine, restoring funds cut off by former President Trump. The United Nations has welcomed the move, while Israel has expressed outrage.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the resumption of aid to the Palestinians.

He pledged $235 million in aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The move is in stark contrast to former President Donald Trump’s decision to cut off aid.

Announcing the resumption of the fund for Palestine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: It will help Palestinian understanding, security coherence and stability. ”

The State Department said the United States would provide $150 million to UNRWA,  $75 million for economic and development activities in West Jordan and Gaza, and $10 million for peace efforts.

UNRWA provides assistance to approximately $57 million registered Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Middle East.

UNRWA receives most of its funding from the United States, but the Trump administration withheld funding in 2018, leaving it in financial trouble. The amount of aid announced by the Biden administration on Wednesday is far less than the  $355 million provided by the United States in 2016.

UNRWA says its financial needs have been exacerbated by the plight of Palestinians living in the war-torn country of Syria and economically distressed Lebanon and Jordan.

The new US aid is in addition to the previous $15 million in Coronavirus aid. Israel also criticized it.

Although it is playing a leading role in the world in vaccinating its citizens, it does not treat the people of the Occupied Territories equally.

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