Egypt, UN relief agency discuss financial crisis after U.S. funding cut

CAIRO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Thursday with the head of a UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees the financial crisis it faces after the U.S. reduction of funding.

Shoukry met with Pierre Krähenbühl, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), to review the latest humanitarian situation in Palestine and the financial deficit the agency faces, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement.

The Egyptian top diplomat affirmed Egypt's keenness to take actions at different levels and to coordinate efforts with all regional and international donors to provide all forms of support to ease the burden of the aggravated economic and social situation in the West Bank and Gaza.

In mid January, the United States, the largest contributor to the UN agency, decided to cut 65 million U.S. dollars from the 125 million U.S. dollars in funding it promised to the UNRWA.

The U.S. administration also announced it will not provide the agency with 45 million dollars of aid that it pledged last December.

The UNRWA, which provides assistance in education, health and food to some 5 million registered Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, is already suffering from a deficit of 49 million dollars.

Meanwhile, Shoukry briefed the UN official on the outcome of the contacts and consultations he held on the sidelines of the extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) held Wednesday in Brussels.

Shoukry hailed the humanitarian nature of the UNRWA operations and its efforts to improve the situation of the Palestinian refugees, either inside Palestine or in host countries.

Abu Zeid noted that the foreign minister outlined Egypt's stance to support UNRWA as well as its efforts to consult with international donors to bridge the financial gap of the agency.

Shoukry stressed that Egypt is keen on maintaining the UNRWA activities, which are perceived as one of the main pillars of stability for the situation of the Palestinian refugees.

For his part, Krähenbühl briefed the host on the difficult financial situation of his agency, noting that UN Secretary General António Guterres will convene an emergency meeting to discuss the issue this month in Geneva. Enditem