UN to open Palestinian schools despite US cuts

More than 700 UN-run schools for Palestinian refugees will open on time despite a severe budget shortfall, the United Nations said on Thursday.

The schools provide education to more than half a million students across the Middle East, including in the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) had feared it would not have enough funds to support the schools after US President Donald Trump decided to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars earlier this year.

Not 'out of the woods'

The White House has argued that the agency needs to reform or face the consequences. The Trump administration has targeted the UN agency, accusing it of perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, accord to US media.

"I wish to be clear that UNRWA is by no stretch of the imagination out of the woods," said UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl.

"We currently only have funding to run the agency's services until the end of September. We need a further $217 million (€191 million) to ensure that our schools not only open but can be run until the end of the year."

'Deal of the century'

The announcement comes a day after Israel reopened its cargo crossing with Gaza Strip, allowing commercial goods to enter the area for the first time in weeks.  

Egypt is attempting to mediate a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement governing Gaza, after months of fighting. While small militant groups are often to blame for rockets shot into Israel, the Israeli government holds the Islamist group responsible.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has signaled its intent to put forward the "deal of the century," its vision of how to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But Palestinians say the White House isn't interested in mediating a fair deal.

Read more: 'Deal of the century': US pushes Israeli-Palestinian plan

UNRWA was created to provide assistance and protection to more than 700,000 Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled during the creation of Israel in 1948. Germany and other countries have pledged additional funds to ease the funding shortfall created by the US.

ls/kms (AFP, Reuters)

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