Bush authorizes additional $20 million assistance to Palestinian refugees – USDOS press release/Non-UN document (excerpts)

Bush Authorizes Additional $20 Million to Assist Palestinian Refugees

Aid in response to emergency appeal for $193 million

In response to an emergency appeal by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), President Bush has authorized an additional $20 million contribution to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza.

According to a July 29 statement by Adam Ereli, State Department deputy spokesman, the funds will be used to provide food, shelter, health care and other urgent humanitarian needs. This donation brings the total U.S. contribution to UNRWA's emergency appeal to $40 million in 2004.

"The United States is the largest bilateral donor to UNRWA. We continue to encourage other donors to respond urgently to this emergency appeal," said the statement.

Following is the text of Ereli's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesman

July 29, 2004

STATEMENT BY ADAM ERELI, DEPUTY SPOKESMAN

United States Support for Palestinian Refugees

President George W. Bush has authorized the Department of State to use up to $20 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to assist Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This contribution is in response to the agency's $193 million 2004 emergency appeal to fund food, shelter, health, and other urgent humanitarian needs of the over 1.5 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza. This brings our total contribution to the emergency appeal to $40 million in 2004. The United States is the largest bilateral donor to UNRWA. We continue to encourage other donors to respond urgently to this emergency appeal.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)