Jordan welcomes US decision to resume financial support for UNRWA

AMMAN — Jordan on Thursday welcomed the US administration’s decision on resuming support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) that is experiencing a financial deficit.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that the US financial support would  help the agency to overcome its financial crisis and allow it to provide essential services, notably education, health services and reliefs,  to over 5 million Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Safadi expressed the Kingdom's appreciation of the US decision, recognising it as a positive step that would enhance the agency’s ability towards meeting refugees’ humanitarian, educational and health needs, especially that the pandemic has worsened the situation and increased the agency’s financial pressure.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday announced that his country had decided to resume support for UNRWA’s services, highlighting an allocation of $150 million.

US financial assistance for UNRWA was suspended in September of 2018.