Trump squeezes UNRWA, checkmates PLO and incentivises Jordan

President Trump has created a veritable diplomatic tsunami affecting the political fortunes of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Hamas and Jordan with his decision to cease all future donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), currently US$360million per annum and comprising about 30% of UNRWA's budget.

The numbers of UNRWA-registered Palestinian Arab refugees in Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza have been increasing in leaps and bounds annually because they include all the descendants of those Palestinian Arabs caught up in the 1948 and 1967 Arab-Israel wars.

Currently:

• 2,175,000 live in Jordan – 370000 of whom reside in 10 camps
• 810,000 live in the West Bank – 200000 of whom reside in 19 camps
• 1,300,000 live in Gaza – 580000 of whom reside in 8 camps

UNRWA only provides services to the camps. UNRWA does not administer or police the camps, as this is the responsibility of the host authorities.

Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza comprise 83% of the territory of former Palestine. For UNRWA to count as "refugees" people who are now living in Arab-controlled parts of the same country where their forebears once resided - is really an insult to one's intelligence.

For UNRWA to tolerate a system of apartheid and segregation that allows those "refugees" to be divided into camp dwellers and non-camp dwellers makes a mockery of the humanitarian principles espoused by the United Nations and the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Struggling under an accumulated deficit of US$271 million before Trump's hammer blow – UNRWA had already shut down or slated for closure many programs and laid off large numbers of employees – mainly Palestinian Arabs.

The further cuts UNRWA will now be forced to make following America's defunding will be critical to the PLO, Hamas and Jordan – as "refugees" coming under their respective jurisdictions affected by substantial cuts to their well-established entitlements see others not similarly subjected.

UNRWA funding decisions cannot possibly please all these "refugees" - and those receiving UNRWA aid in Lebanon and Syria.

The PLO, Hamas and Jordan will be lobbying furiously for UNRWA funding cuts to not be made to "refugees" living under their governance. Serious political consequences could ensue if they fail.

Jordan - enjoying a long-standing peace treaty with Israel - currently houses 50% of the total of UNRWA registered Palestinian Arab "refugees" in the West Bank, Gaza and Jordan.