UNRWA asks E.U. for $246 million

The head of the U.N. agency serving Palestinian refugees asked the European Union for $246 million in aid. The Associated Press reported Thursday that United Nations Relief and Works Agency head Karen AbuZayd said the funds are needed to provide services and aid to 4.4 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. She told the Europeans that the Palestinians deserve a “reward” in light of the revived Arab League peace initiative and the Hamas-Fatah unity government. Since Hamas was elected to power last year, direct international funding was cut until the terrorist group accepts Israel’s right to exist, renounces violence and accepts past peace agreements. However, indirect aid has risen so much that it more than makes up for the fall in direct aid to the government.AbuZayd said that 80 percent of Palestinians live below the poverty line, and added that they view the Europeans more favorably than the United States and Israel, whom they blame for their economic troubles. “It’s important for Europe to hear that [Palestinians] count on the Europeans to be more impartial, less biased toward one party, listening to their side of the story and to help more,” the AP quoted her as saying.