Louisville, KY — On Friday, constituents of U.S. Congressional District 3 will deliver an open letter to Rep. Morgan McGarvey urging
- the immediate restoration of US funding for UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency), and
- the cessation of all U.S. military aid to the state of Israel until it allows humanitarian aid to enter freely at all border crossings.
The letter originated in a prayer group at Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church that meets weekly to pray for the suffering in Palestine/Israel. Other individuals in District 3 wanted to sign, and the letter grew.
In March, the House of Representatives voted to defund UNRWA as part of a $1.2 trillion funding bill. Rep. McGarvey voted to defund. This decision by the House is a stunning moral and strategic failure.
“Palestinian lives were put on the chopping block of political compromise. Congress must act now to reinstate funding for UNRWA. Palestinian lives matter!” said Rev. Tricia Lloyd-Sidle, one of the leaders of this ad hoc committee.
UNRWA has been an indispensable provider of humanitarian aid for 76 years. Oxfam and 19 other humanitarian organizations issued a joint statement decrying the UNRWA funding cuts, stating that “UNRWA is the largest humanitarian agency in Gaza, and their delivery of humanitarian assistance cannot be replaced by other agencies working in Gaza.” Other human rights and refugee organizations around the world have expressed fear and outrage over this decision, as well.
The delivery of the open letter will be at 10 AM at the Mazzoli Federal Building at 600 Martin Luther King Plaza.
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