UNITED NATIONS: The Trump administration has decided to withhold $65 million from the UN body for Palestinian refugees — the United Nations Relief and Works Agency — cutting the year’s first contribution by more than half, officials said on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump had not made a final decision but appeared likely to send only $60m from a planned $125m as first installment to the UN agency, said the officials.

Future contributions would require the agency, which often faces criticism from Israel, to demonstrate significant changes in operations, the officials said, adding that one suggestion under consideration would require the Palestinians to re-enter peace talks with Israel.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the world body would have to find other sources to fill the financial gap created by the US decision. He was responding to a question at a press conference here.

According to sources, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley wants a complete cutoff in funding until the Palestinians re­­su­­me peace talks that have been frozen for years. But Secretary of State Rex Tiller­son and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis say that ending all assistance would exacerbate instability in the Middle East, notably in Jordan, a host to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees and a US strategic partner.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2018