The American government has pledged another $148 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for aid to Arabs in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The U.S. is the agency's single largest donor and the money is an addition to more than a billion dollars given to the PA by the European Union (EU).
UNRWA said the aid will be earmarked for schools, food and shelter and temporary jobs. "This support is essential for improving the daily lives of Palestine refugees who face hardship in the region," UNRWA's Commissioner-General Karen Abu Zayd said. The term "refugees" refers to Arabs who are descendants of families who fled from Israel in the 1948 War of Independence. Arab nations encouraged them to leave while their armies were fighting Israel, and the residents were told they would return after Israel's annihilation.