Dingell leads group of 59 members for resumption of humanitarian assistance for Palestinians during COVID-19 outbreak

Dingell Congresswoman led a group of 59 Members of Congress in reaching out to U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft requesting the Trump administration take action to restart humanitarian U.S. humanitarian assistance to Palestinians during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Trump administration has withheld most of the U.S. humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, including United Nation Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), during the current outbreak.

“As you know, the pandemic has now reached the Gaza Strip with cases beginning to inexorably rise in a place with few resources to combat the outbreak. Coupled with the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, the pandemic now poses an unprecedented global health emergency,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is important that we empower these public health officials, who are deliberately putting themselves in harm’s way for the common good, by providing them the resources they need to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip continue to face humanitarian challenges, including significant deficiencies in healthcare infrastructure and equipment needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Gaza, there are fewer than 90 ventilators available for the territory’s approximately 2 million residents.

These funds could be put to instant use supporting the public health response, including the 3,300 health care workers staffing 144 UNRWA health clinics that are now on the front lines in combating this pandemic.” The lawmakers continued.

In addition to Dingell, the letter was signed by Representatives Jared Huffman, Raul M. Grijalva, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Bobby L. Rush, Peter Welch, Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar, James P. McGovern, Ruben Gallego, Mike Doyle, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. , Mark Takano, Jamie Raskin, Seth Moulton, André Carson, Pramila Jayapal, Alan Lowenthal, Diana DeGette, Rosa DeLauro, Jahana Hayes, Sean Casten, Dwight Evans, Peter A. DeFazio, Mark Pocan, Jan Schakowsky, Barbara Lee, Tom Malinowski, Ro Khanna, Don Beyer, David E. Price, Julia Brownley, Jason Crow, David N. Cicilline, Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Judy Chu, Deb Haaland, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ted W. Lieu, Jackie Speier, Joseph P. Kennedy, III, Danny K. Davis , Karen Bass, Zoe Lofgren, Nydia M. Velázquez, Jennifer Wexton, Gerald E. Connolly, John Yarmuth, Anna G. Eshoo, Lori Trahan, Suzanne Bonamici, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Earl Blumenauer, Stephen F. Lynch, Katherine M. Clark, Brenda L. Lawrence , Gwen Moore, Rashida Tlaib and Andy Levin.

The letter is below:

Dear Ambassador Craft:

As COVID-19 pandemic numbers continue to rise, we write to seek your assistance in the effort to restart U.S. humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, including UNRWA. As you know, the pandemic has now reached the Gaza Strip with cases beginning to inexorably rise in a place with few resources to combat the outbreak. Coupled with the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, the pandemic now poses an unprecedented global health emergency.

It is important that we empower these public health officials, who are deliberately putting themselves in harm’s way for the common good, by providing them the resources they need to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. government has funding available through its Migration and Refugee Assistance and Economic Support Fund programs for immediate obligation to address this deteriorating humanitarian situation. The administration need only obligate these funds – their use requires neither additional legislative language nor supplemental appropriations. 

These funds could be put to instant use supporting the public health response, including the 3,300 health care workers staffing 144 UNRWA health clinics that are now on the front lines in combating this pandemic. UNRWA is working closely with host authorities and the World Health Organization with triage care and protocols in place to identify patients with respiratory symptoms. This funding could also support the six facilities comprising the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, as well as U.S. NGOs engaged in health work.

Thank you for your consideration. We hope you can assist in making these potentially life-saving funds available for immediate obligation.