The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) provides services to about 5 million Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza. Most are descendants of some 700,000 Palestinians who were driven out of their homes or fled fighting in the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation. Successive Israeli governments have ruled out any right to return, fearing the country would lose its Jewish majority.
Millions of Palestinian refugees "cannot simply be wished away", UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl said, hitting back at a U.S. aid cutoff and allegations its work only perpetuates their plight. "I express deep regret and disappointment at the nature of the U.S. decision."
US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert criticised UNRWA on Friday over its "endlessly and exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described UNRWA on Sunday as "the refugee perpetuation agency" whose money "should be taken and be used to really help rehabilitate the refugees, whose real number is a sliver of that reported by UNRWA".
Krahenbuhl responded that "the protracted nature of the Palestine refugee crisis" was not unique. He said the children and grandchildren of long-displaced refugees in Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Congo and elsewhere are also recognised as refugees and assisted by the United Nations.
"No matter how often attempts are made to minimise or delegitimise the individual and collective experiences of Palestine refugees, the undeniable fact remains that they have rights under international law and represent a community of 5.4 million men, women and children who cannot simply be wished away," he said.
Millions of Palestinian refugees "cannot simply be wished away", UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl said, hitting back at a U.S. aid cutoff and allegations its work only perpetuates their plight. "I express deep regret and disappointment at the nature of the U.S. decision."
US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert criticised UNRWA on Friday over its "endlessly and exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described UNRWA on Sunday as "the refugee perpetuation agency" whose money "should be taken and be used to really help rehabilitate the refugees, whose real number is a sliver of that reported by UNRWA".
Krahenbuhl responded that "the protracted nature of the Palestine refugee crisis" was not unique. He said the children and grandchildren of long-displaced refugees in Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Congo and elsewhere are also recognised as refugees and assisted by the United Nations.
"No matter how often attempts are made to minimise or delegitimise the individual and collective experiences of Palestine refugees, the undeniable fact remains that they have rights under international law and represent a community of 5.4 million men, women and children who cannot simply be wished away," he said.
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