The Biden administration plans to unveil a package of about $150 million in US aid to the Palestinians, restoring part of the assistance that was cut off by then-president Donald Trump, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The new administration has previously pledged to resume hundreds of millions of dollars in economic and humanitarian assistance and work toward reopening the Palestinians’ diplomatic mission in Washington. The Trump administration blocked nearly all aid since it severed ties with the Palestinian Authority in 2018. This included rescinding aid to funding for the United Nations Works and Relief Agency (UNWRA), which provides aid and relief services to around 5.7m registered Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. The money that will go to UNWRA does not immediately restore contributions to the $365m level that the US gave to the agency in 2017.

Source: Pakistan Today April 07, 2021 15:56 UTC