Malta will review its donation to the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees in light of a decision by the US to withhold $65 million in planned contributions.
The US decision last week was slammed by leaders of 21 humanitarian aid groups that wrote to the Trump administration warning of “dire consequences”.
“We are deeply concerned by the humanitarian consequences of this decision on life-sustaining assistance to children, women and men in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” they said.
Karl Schembri, from the Norwegian Refugee Council, which was one of the aid groups that wrote the letter to the US government, told this newspaper the massive shortfall left by America’s decision was very tangible and would be felt very soon if left uncovered. It was because of this that an appeal was made to the Maltese government and other wealthier countries to step in immediately before things get out of hand across the region.
Earlier this month, the Norwegian Refugee Council called on other donor nations to stand with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and cover the massive shortfall left by the US administration.
When contacted, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Malta was following the issue closely and recognised the valuable work of the agency among Palestinian refugees.
We are deeply concerned
by the humanitarian consequences of this decision on life-sustaining assistance to children, women and men
The island contributes annually: in 2015 and 2016, it donated €45,000, and this increased to €50,000 last year.
Asked whether Malta would consider upping its contribution, even if a symbolic amount, now that the Trump administration withheld half of UNRWA’s budget, the spokeswoman said that Malta would be taking into account the evolving situation when it decided on the amount.
The Maltese government remained committed that the EU – which is now the largest donors following the US’ decision to halt its contribution – had a more committed role to facilitate, in the most effective and constructive manner, the Middle East peace process, she said.
Malta supported the EU initiative to hold an extraordinary session of the international donor group for Palestine, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, at the end of this month. The aim of the meeting was to bring all sides together to discuss measures that would speed up the efforts supporting negotiations for a two-state solution. Participants would include Israel, the Palestinian National Authority, the US and the EU, she added.
Mr Schembri said the impact of the shortfall would affect up to five million Palestinian refugees spread across the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, for whom UNRWA was the only lifeline.
Half a million children across the region attended UNRWA schools. Their parents depended on UNRWA for food aid, health services and housing. In Gaza alone, UNRWA had been instrumental in rebuilding the houses destroyed by Israel in the 2014 war.
“Beyond the day-to-day basic services offered to the poorest dispossessed and stateless Palestinians in the region, if another emergency had to occur – like the multiple wars we’ve seen waged on Gaza – there will be nobody left to pick up the pieces as UNRWA can,” he said.