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Canada allocates $50mn in aid to UN agency for Palestinians

Sunday, 14 October 2018 10:38 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 14 October 2018 10:42 AM ]

Palestinian students are seen passing by a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school in the Balata refugee camp, near Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, on September 25, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

Canada has announced up to 50 million dollars in aid to the United Nations (UN)’s relief agency for Palestinian refugees two months after the United States cut its aid to that body.

Ottawa will provide up to 50 million dollars over two years to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, Canada’s Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau announced on Saturday.

I am announcing that Canada will provide multi-year funding to Palestinian refugees to the UN Agency @UNRWA + Canadian NGO @RightToPlayCAN.

This new funding is urgently needed + it will protect the human dignity of millions of Palestinian refugees. https://t.co/VsT4TJdbgB pic.twitter.com/D5tsQwfVrI
— Marie-Claude Bibeau (@mclaudebibeau) October 12, 2018

The funding will be used to provide basic education, health, and livelihood needs for millions of Palestinian refugees, especially women and children, through the UNRWA.

“Canada’s new funding will contribute to improving the lives and protecting the human dignity of millions of Palestinian refugees,” Bibeau said.

She added that the funds would be spent on teacher training courses to educate hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children, and support over a hundred health clinics.

Canada’s announcement comes two months after the US announced it would cut its aid to the UNRWA.

PressTV-US to end funding to UN program for Palestinian refugees

The administration of US President Donald Trump has decided to cancel all US funding of the United Nations aid program for Palestinian refugees.

At the time, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness described the decision by the administration of US President Donald Trump as “deeply regrettable” and “shocking.” Analysts said the decision to cut the funding was indicative of Trump’s apathy toward the plight of the Palestinians.

The US was the largest donor country to UNRWA. But under the Trump administration, it has taken an increasingly hard-line stance toward Palestine.

Last year, Washington had given more than 360 million dollars to the organization.

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