The German government has pledged to increase its donations to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following the announcement that the US has cut its own contributions to the main aid international body which supports Palestinian refugees. Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas said that the UNWRA funding crisis fuels uncertainty.

Germany to increase UNRWA funding following US aid cuts [@The_NewArab] https://t.co/dD7QByd3Ed

— Joao Nunes Salvador (@joaonsalvador) September 1, 2018

“The loss of this organization could unleash an uncontrollable chain reaction,” he said, pointing out that Germany has already donated €81 million ($94 million) towards UNWRA’s budget for this year. Apart from a core budget taken out of UN central funds, UNRWA relies entirely on voluntary donations from UN member states and, to a much lesser degree, international NGOs.

Although Maas said that the government in Berlin is preparing to increase its contribution, he gave no further details regarding when and how much.

Germany to increase UNRWA funding following US aid cuts https://t.co/Zb8zcKAssb via @alaraby_en pic.twitter.com/QPuvv1LQFk

— Araby.org Community (@ArabyOrg) September 1, 2018

In a letter seen by Reuters, he told EU foreign ministers:

“We are currently preparing to provide an additional amount of significant funds.”

#Trump to Announce Freeze of All Funds to #UNRWA (VIDEO) https://t.co/7jJIfXTxJr @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/uPTyF770rH

— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) August 31, 2018

However, he noted that Germany’s donation would not cover the $217 million deficit caused by the US aid cut. Hence, he urged the EU and fellow member states to work towards “a sustainable financial basis for the agency.”

(MEMO, PC, Social Media)