By Hajer M'tiri
PARIS (AA) – France on Monday condemned a U.S. decision to cut all of its funding for the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA.
The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Paris “deeply regrets ” the US move and reiterated its commitment to UNRWA, “whose services to the more than 5 million Palestinian refugees are essential for local and regional stability. ”
“France recalls that the issue of Palestinian refugees and their right of return is a final status and can only be determined in the context of negotiations between the parties, ” read the statement.
It said, “It is essential that the international community remains mobilized to enable UNRWA to carry out its missions in a sustainable manner and to pursue its reforms. ”
“France has increased its contribution this year and is studying new possibilities of financial support, in particular for actions in favor of education, ” it added.
On Friday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Washington “will no longer commit further funding ” to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The U.S. was by far UNRWA's largest funder, giving $350 million annually, or about one-quarter of the agency's budget.
Established in 1949, UNRWA provides critical aid to more than 5 million Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
