Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action. This week we are supporting a petition to members of Congress asking them to urge President Biden to immediately release U.S. aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees.
UNRWA provides vital humanitarian assistance such as health care, education, and emergency food assistance to Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East. In 2018, the Trump administration announced its decision to cut all U.S. aid to UNRWA as well as all bilateral humanitarian assistance to the West Bank and Gaza.
The Episcopal Church’s General Convention responded, urging the “United States Government to maintain its historic commitment to alleviating the poverty of Palestinians and restore its full planned 2018 funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) so that it can continue to serve the over 5 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.” Palestinians rely on UNRWA for essential services, especially during the pandemic. Congress must urge the Administration to release funding for UNRWA to protect those in dire need of humanitarian assistance!
U.S. support of UNRWA is critical to providing many essential services for Palestinians. As the President of the United States, Joe Biden can release the funding for UNRWA and bilateral assistance to the West Bank and Gaza at his own discretion, as it has already been appropriated by Congress. Congress must urge President Biden to take action on this priority and restore funding to UNRWA, among many other humanitarian assistance organizations and programs, all of which provide vital aid and relief to Palestinians.
Since its creation in 1949, the United States has pledged its unyielding financial support to UNRWA, and every administration since—both Republican and Democratic—has continued American support for the organization—all with the exception of one. Withholding vital funding, which supports education and job training, undermines the end goal of peace, stability, and equity for Israelis, Palestinians, and all other peoples in the region.
Sign here:
Restore U.S. Assistance to the Palestinian People
