After US cuts, Palestinian refugee agency seeks donations

The UN agency that serves Palestinian refugees and their descendants says it is launching a global fundraising appeal in hopes of making up for funding cuts announced by the United States.

The Trump administration on Tuesday suspended $65 million for UNRWA, demanding it undertake a “fundamental re-examination.”

The US provides roughly one-third of UNRWA’s budget, and the agency has warned that it now faces the “most dramatic financial crisis” in its nearly 70-year history. The agency provides health care, education and social services to 5 million Palestinians across the Middle East.

Earlier, UNRWA’s secretary-general, Pierre Krähenbühl, said the fundraising appeal would begin in the coming days. The agency said it is too soon to say which countries will be approached to fill the void or what services are at risk.

— AP