On February 23rd, local time, US House of Representatives member Alice Stefanik stated during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that the Trump administration will cancel funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNHCR) and “dissolve the agency”. On November 11, 2024, local time, Trump issued a statement announcing the selection of New York Republican federal representative Alice Stefanik as the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The Near East Relief Agency was established in 1949, mainly responsible for providing humanitarian assistance, education, and medical services to registered Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. After the outbreak of a new round of Israeli Palestinian conflict in October 2023, the agency played a key role in providing humanitarian assistance to the people of the Gaza Strip. In recent years, the United States has reduced its funding for the Near East Relief and Works Agency. As a member state and donor country of the United Nations, the United States can influence the policies and operations of the Near East Relief Agency through diplomatic channels, but cannot directly dissolve the organization. The dissolution or restructuring of the Near East Relief Agency requires a resolution from the United Nations General Assembly, which requires the support of a majority of member states.
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