Spain strongly condemned in a press release issued Monday the US decision to end financing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The Spanish Foreign Ministry asked Washington to reconsider the decision taking into account that it had slashed its aid from $365 million in 2017 to $60 million at the start of 2018.
The “critical financial situation of the UNRWA caused by the decision taken by the (US President Donald) Trump administration seriously threatens the continuity of special programs in health education and food which directly benefit Palestinian refugees in the Middle East” it said.
“The suppression of basic services to 3 million Palestinian refugees could have serious consequences for the stability of the region especially in the Gaza Strip.”
The ministry said Madrid is “fully committed” to “finding joint solutions” which will allow UNRWA to continue its work in a sustainable manner.
“Spain considers that the EU and its member states should make a supplementary effort to compensate the possible consequences of the serious decision taken by the U.S” the statement concluded.
For its part the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expressed on Monday its deepest concern over the US decision.
“Such despicable measure may be the most biased and extreme ever taken by the United States since 1948 regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” said a statement issued by the government of Venezuela. “Far from contributing to the region’s stability the US is jeopardizing millions of people by collectively punishing them availing itself of its economic power.”
It said: “They show once again their contempt for the multilateral system and their commitment to unilateralism which only guides us towards arbitrariness and the law of the strongest.”
Venezuela expressed its strong support for and solidarity with the Palestinian People and particularly to those in refugee situation.
The statement also said that Venezuela acknowledges the work of all UNRWA officials who despite all difficulties have tried to continue protecting the human rights of Palestinian refugees.
“We reject the smear campaign against the organization and we reiterate our conviction that lasting peace is achieved through a dialogue based on respect and justice and not through coercion” the statement concluded.
