“To restore funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states Congress's policy recognizing the U.S. strategic and moral interest in preventing further erosion of civilian conditions in Gaza; supporting UNRWA's humanitarian role there and its services to Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem); urging Israel to assist UNRWA's neutrality efforts; urging the President to restore U.S. funding to UNRWA alongside allies, conditioned on UNRWA's implementation of the Independent Review Group's (led by Catherine Colonna) recommendations; recognizing the need for UN and member state cooperation (including additional funding); urging U.S. and Israeli assistance in that implementation; and supporting appropriations for UNRWA for FY2025 and beyond.
This section restores U.S. funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)—which provides humanitarian assistance, education, health care, relief, and social services to Palestinian refugees—effective on the date of enactment by (1) repealing title III of division G of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–47); (2) repealing section 308 of the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 (division A of Public Law 118–50); (3) directing the Secretary of State, notwithstanding any other provision of law and as soon as practicable, to resume funding to UNRWA under current authorities and consistent with the Secretary’s waiver for lifesaving humanitarian aid; and (4) directing the President to rescind the Executive Order of February 4, 2025, entitled “Withdrawing the United States From and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations” (90 Fed. Reg. 9275). This section further requires the Secretary of State to submit reports to the appropriate congressional committees of jurisdiction, not later than 90 days after enactment and quarterly thereafter through December 31, 2028, on steps UNRWA is taking to implement recommendations from the independent outside review led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.