Mercy Corps Statement on U.S. Funding Cuts to the Palestinian People

Humanitarian aid should never be used as a political bargaining chip

Statement from Andy Dwonch, Mercy Corps Mission Director for Palestine

"Mercy Corps is alarmed by the announcement that the U.S. Administration is cutting life-saving programs that benefit Palestinian civilians living in the West Bank and Gaza.

The U.S. Administration’s decision will deepen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where 7 out of 10 people already rely on emergency aid, 95 percent of water is contaminated and unemployment is over 70 percent for young people.

Humanitarian aid should never be used as a political bargaining chip, irrespective of where people live. Punishing Palestinian civilians by suddenly cutting food assistance, access to clean water, health services and opportunities to work, risks exacerbating the political challenges.

The unconscionable decision to suspend assistance contradicts U.S. values and undermines U.S. goals of a peaceful, secure, and prosperous region.

Mercy Corps urges the Trump Administration to urgently reverse this decision and calls on the U.S. Congress to take action to ensure that future funding is allowed to move ahead.

Mercy Corps has worked in the West Bank and Gaza since 1986, distributing emergency food and supplies to families displaced by crisis, providing psychosocial support for young people, and expanding employment opportunities."

Go to www.mercycorps.org for more information.