Ovunc Kutlu
25 March 2021•Update: 26 March 2021
ANKARA
The US is concerned that the coronavirus pandemic has put a strain on the economic and humanitarian needs of Palestinians, said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washington’s Ambassador to the UN, on Thursday.
"We are encouraged to see Israel's initiative to vaccinate Palestinian workers. We urge Israel and the Palestinian Authority to continue cooperation on insuring COVID vaccines reach more in need," she told the UN Security Council at a Middle East meeting.
Stressing that President Joe Biden is restoring assistance programs for economic development and humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, she said the US has announced $15 million in humanitarian assistance to support the most vulnerable communities in the West Bank and Gaza.
Thomas-Greenfield also talked about the three aspects of the Middle East peace process.
"First, the US continues support for Israel. Secondly, our desire to see both Israelis and Palestinians take steps toward a two-step solution. And, thirdly, our goal of delivering aid to the Palestinian people."
"It is essential that both sides take concrete steps to advance the two-nation solution," she said, adding the US urges the Israeli government and Palestinian authorities to refrain from all unilateral actions that make a two-state solution more difficult to achieve.
