Berlin to boost funds for Palestinians after US aid cut

The German government has pledged to significantly increase its funding for the UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees after the United States cut its aid. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the funding crisis for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) was fueling uncertainty. “The loss of this organization could unleash an uncontrollable chain reaction,” Reuters quoted the minister as saying. Germany had already provided $94 million in aid for UNWRA this year, he said, and was preparing to increase its contribution. “We are currently preparing to provide an additional amount of significant funds,” Maas said in a letter to EU foreign ministers. Maas said it was clear that the added German funds would not cover a $217 million deficit left by the US withdrawal.