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Palestinian refugee agency seeks donations after US cuts

The UNRWA has warned that it faces the most dramatic financial crisis in its near 70-year history.

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Refugees sit on sacks of flour that their family received from a UN food distribution centre (AP)

The UN agency which serves Palestinian refugees and their descendants has said it is launching a global fund-raising appeal to help make up for cuts announced by the US government.

The call comes a day after the Trump administration suspended 65 million dollars (£45 million) for UNRWA, calling for a “fundamental re-examination”.

The US provides roughly a third of UNRWA’s budget, and the agency has warned that it now faces the “most dramatic financial crisis” in its near 70-year history.

The agency provides health care, education and social services to five million Palestinians across the Middle East.

UNRWA’s secretary-general, Pierre Krahenbuhl, said the fund-raising appeal would begin in the coming days.

The agency said it is too soon to say which countries will be approached to fill the void or what services are at risk.

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