Situation in Gaza to get worse? America cuts aid for the troubled region

By Aparajita Arya 

In a letter on Tuesday, the US declared that its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) will be “frozen for future consideration.” This move amounts to a cutting of $65 million from an earlier support of $125 million that Washington would provide to the agency. 

Significant cuts in support

In fact, the US Department of State, in its letter, has stated that it will only consider releasing the funds withheld after the UNRWA undertakes significant structural and programme changes.

This development has raised alarms among the international community. The UNRWA, for over 70 years, since its creation in 1948, has been instrumental in providing access to food, education, and healthcare facilities to vulnerable and marginalised Palestinian refugees in territories such as Syria, Jordon, and Lebanon. Since its inception, the US has been the largest donor to the UNRWA, accounting for over 30% of its budget. Hence, any cuts in its funding will be calamitous for millions of refugees across the Middle East. In fact, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness has assessed the situation as being the “most severe funding crisis in the history of the agency” and warned that “stability in the Middle East is what we are talking about and the potential impact of UNRWA being destabilised is very likely to be widespread, profound, unpredictable and catastrophic.”

Israel-Palestine conflict

The reasons that lay behind this decision by Washington are numerous but the Israel-Palestine conflict lies at its heart. To begin with, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly accused the UNRWA of being biased against Israel. He has, on several occasions, called for its termination, as it is an agency for ‘fictitious refugees.’ America’s support of Israel is not unknown. President Donald Trump’s controversial and explosive decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is only one instance of such support. This has led Palestine to refuse and reject any future ‘peace’ plans designed by the US.

Moreover, America has also recently been indicating likely changes towards its policy for refugee programmes in the Middle East. Trump has claimed in several of his infamous tweets that “We pay the Palestinians hundreds of millions of dollars a year and get no appreciation or respect…With the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?” This US stance on Palestine has been welcomed by Israel. In fact, during his visit to India, PM Netanyahu has welcomed the US’s move and offered his support saying that “It is the first time that UNRWA is being challenged“.

Decreasing Palestinian confidence

In response to the recent American approach to the region, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has condemned Trump’s efforts at peace as being the ‘slap of the century.’ In addition, the country’s envoy to Washington, Husam Zomlot, has emphasised that “Palestinian refugees and children’s access to basic humanitarian services…are not bargaining chips but international obligations for the US to fulfil. In fact, the Palestinian Libertarian organisation has further said that Trump administration, by freezing funding, was creating conditions that will generate further instability throughout the region.”

This sentiment has been echoed by the international community. In the past, there have been refugee uprisings in camps such as those located in Jordan and Syria. It is highly likely that reduced access to services such as healthcare and education will lead to similar uprisings. Indeed, the UNRWA supports around 525,000 children in 700 of its schools and all of them will be affected by the reduced funding.

Belgium steps in

Indeed, considering the large scale of persons impacted by the agency’s efforts and the cut in US funding, Belgium has pledged around 19 million euros ($23 million) to the agency. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has declared that Brussels will release these funds over a period of three years. The first payment is being sent out immediately with regard to the ‘financial difficulties’ that the UNRWA is facing at the moment. He has further added, “For a lot of Palestinian refugees, the UNRWA is the last life buoy. With the help of UNRWA, half a million of Palestine children are able to go to school. This prevents them from falling prey to radicalization and extreme violence.” Like Belgium, for several other countries such as France and the United Kingdom, the radicalisation of persons in the region is a paramount concern, especially in light of their determinations towards limiting the reach of the IS. Thus, Belgium and the EU, are now the largest donors to the UNRWA and are continuing to expand their aid for the region to prevent further conflict.

The UN’s response

The UN, for its part, has expressed its disappointment at Washington’s decision. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he is ‘very concerned’ because of the reports about the funding cuts. He further reiterated that the US must remain cognizant of the fact that the “UNRWA is not a Palestinian institution but a UN institution” and that it continues to be an “important factor of stability” in the Middle East. In response, the US has claimed that the decision is actuality not a politically fuelled one. Rather, “There is a need to undertake a fundamental re-examination of UNRWA, both in the way it operates and the way it is funded,” and that “the Department of State shall not budge if this re-examination does not take place.“ Thus, the international community and organisations such as the Norwegian Refugee Council have urged the US to it reconsider its decision in light of the impact that it will have on vulnerable persons on the West Bank. It seems likely that America will stick with its current resolution.

Resultant effect

Having said that, the impact of this move on the ground, regardless of the reasons behind it, will be palpable. On Wednesday, around 500 people protested at the Gaza Strip against the funding freeze. Even France has expressed its ‘regrets’ towards the American decision. In fact, Human Rights Watch has added that Washington was “holding Palestinian kids’ humanitarian needs hostage to political agendas.“ Refugees at the Gaza Strip face unemployment rates which are over 42% and most persons live on some form of aid from the UNRWA. The cuts in funding are bound to create far-reaching adverse ripple effects further crippling their socio-political stability.

Featured Image Source: Visual Hunt