US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday announced $404 million in new US aid for the Palestinians, while urging other countries to do the same, at an international conference in Jordan on humanitarian aid for Gaza.
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The aid brings the total U.S. contribution to Palestinians – in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and the region – to $674 million since the war broke out in October, according to the State Department.
Mr. Blinken, however, stressed that the appeal for funds launched by the United Nations for the Palestinians was only one-third funded, with a deficit of some $2.3 billion.
“Some have expressed great concern about the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, including countries capable of giving a lot, which have provided very little or nothing at all,” the US secretary of state said.
AFP
“It’s time for everyone – everyone – to take action. And for those who have already given and given generously, give even more,” he added.
Mr. Blinken did not specify the terms of this donation, but Washington, the main donor to the Palestinians, focused on the World Food Program and private aid groups.
The US Congress has banned any new contributions to the main coordinator of aid to Gaza, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
UNRWA found itself at the heart of a diplomatic storm and on the verge of collapse after Israel in January accused a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees of being involved in the Hamas attack in Israel that started the ongoing war on October 7.
This led many countries, including the United States, to abruptly suspend funding to the agency, threatening its efforts to deliver aid to Gaza, although several states have since resumed payments.
