Washington, D.C. (Jan. 9, 2018) — Better World Campaign President Peter Yeo released the following statement regarding U.S. aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA):
“More than 50 percent of U.S. funding for UNRWA supports teacher salaries and the valuable education of Palestinian refugee children. Withdrawing this support would be cruel and counter-productive, creating a vacuum that extremist groups like Hamas or ISIS could fill.
“Reducing or withdrawing aid would unduly burden a key U.S. ally, Jordan, where 2 million Palestinian refugees live and 171 UNRWA schools are based.
“UNRWA provides life-saving healthcare and social services to a vulnerable refugee population, while also increasing stability in a volatile part of the world.
“Of course, UNRWA leadership must continue to reform its operations and address the concerns raised by the Government of Israel. Even so, by meeting the needs of vulnerable Palestinians, U.S. contributions to UNRWA benefit children, families, the region and ultimately, U.S. allies.”
About the Better World Campaign
The Better World Campaign works to foster a strong relationship between the U.S. and the UN to promote core American interests and build a more secure, prosperous, and healthy world. The Better World Campaign engages policymakers, the media, and the American public alike to increase awareness of the critical role played by the UN in world affairs and the importance of constructive U.S.-UN relations.
Media Contact:
info_bwc@unfoundation.org
