LONDON: The US risks triggering a security crisis in the Arab world if it follows through with threats to suspend funding to Palestinian refugees, according to a Palestine Liberation Organizaton (PLO) official.
It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called for the closure of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, just days after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut financial assistance.
“Thousands” of children and teenagers would be left without access to education should the US withhold funding to the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian Refugees, cautioned Kanaan Al-Jamal, who oversees the UNRWA portfolio for the PLO in Ramallah.
“There are lots of terrorist groups targeting those teenagers,” Al-Jamal told Arab News. “This will affect national security for everyone, not just the Palestinians.”
Israel has been a long-standing critic of UNRWA.
“UNRWA is an organization that perpetuates the Palestinian refugee problem,” Netanyahu said at his Cabinet meeting on Sunday.
He said that millions of other refugees were covered by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and questioned why Palestinians should have their own body.
“This absurd situation must be ended,” Netanyahu said.
Trump has threatened to cut “massive future payments” to the Palestinians who he blames for stalling peace talks with Israel.
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley doubled down on the threat earlier this week: “The President has basically said he doesn’t want to give any additional funding, or stop funding, until the Palestinians agree to come back to the negotiation table,” she told reporters in response to a question about funding for UNRWA.
Peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine hit an abrupt roadblock in December when President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel marking a dramatic shift in US policy. The move drew sharp criticism from world leaders who overwhelmingly consider East Jerusalem to be Palestinian territory.
Following Trump’s announcement a spokesperson for the Palestinian leadership said that any future peace negotiations must “be based on international laws and resolutions that have recognized an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
Pending a final peace settlement, however, millions of Palestinian refugees rely on assistance from UNRWA.
The UN agency, founded in 1949, is funded largely by US donations, which account for some 30 percent of the annual operating budget.
In 2016, the US pledged $368 million to UNRWA programs, more than double the amount of the second largest donor, the EU.
Some 5 million Palestinian refugees spread across four countries rely on UNRWA services ranging from medical support to food assistance.
More than half of its annual budget is spent on education, with half a million Palestinian children currently attending schools managed by the organization.
Withholding US funds to the agency, Al-Jamal warned, could have dire consequences for those children. In Palestine alone, “thousands of children” would be affected as the suspension of US donations would force UNRWA schools to shutter, he said. “This would really be a disaster for everybody,” Al-Jamal said. “Without funds, these children will be in the streets… That is our concern,” he said.
UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness, told Arab News: “UNRWA’s mandate is set by the UN General Assembly whose members give wide and strong support to the agency’s humanitarian and human development mission, while paying tribute to our indispensable contribution to peace and security, working with some of the most marginalized communities in the Middle East.”
He added: “What perpetuates the refugee crisis is the failure of the parties to deal with the issue. This needs to be resolved by the parties to the conflict in the context of peace talks, based on UN resolutions and international law, and requires the active engagement by the international community.”
In Palestine, concerns are mounting that the Trump administration will follow through with threatened funding cuts. Palestinian representatives have called for an emergency session of the UNRWA advisory committee, and a meeting has been scheduled with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the issue in the coming days, said Al-Jamal.
Al-Jamal accused the Trump administration of playing politics with the lives of the most vulnerable Palestinian refugees. By wielding crucial humanitarian aid as “political money,” the administration was “twisting the arm of the Palestinians through UNRWA,” Al-Jamal said.
Likening Washington’s tactics to blackmail, he said that Trump was attempting to force the Palestinian leadership to re-engage in peace negotiations on unfavorable terms.
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Palestinians fear US aid threat would trigger humanitarian, security disaster
Palestinians fear US aid threat would trigger humanitarian, security disaster
Erdogan condemns Israel’s Somaliland recognition as thousands protest
- Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud holds talks with Turkish counterpart
- Demonstrations take place across the country against Israel’s recognition of breakaway region
MOGADISHU: Tens of thousands of Somalis gathered across the country Tuesday to protest Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland, a move condemned by more than 20 countries as an attack on the East African nation’s sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Turkiye on Tuesday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following Israel’s announcement.
At a UN Security Council emergency meeting Monday, Somalia protested the recognition saying it poses regional security issues. The Israeli representative decried those comments as a double standard because other nations have recognized Palestine as a state. The US special representative said the country’s position on Somalia remains unchanged.
Last week, Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland, drawing strong condemnation from Turkiye — already at odds with Israel over the war in Gaza — as well as from Somalia and other nations.
Somaliland, a territory of more than 3 million people in the Horn of Africa, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 during a period of conflict that left the country fragile. Despite having its own government and currency, Somaliland had never been recognized by any nation until Friday.
In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, crowds gathered at the main stadium for a rally led by prominent religious figures who condemned Israel’s recognition and called for unity in defense of Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Similar protests were reported in Baidoa in the southwest, Guriel and Dhusamareeb in central Somalia, and Lasanod and Buhoodle in the northeast. Protesters in those towns chanted slogans rejecting the recognition and waved Somali flags, according to residents and video footage shared online.
The combined protests marked the largest turnout of protesters since Israel’s declaration.
At the Mogadishu rally, traditional leader Mohamed Hassan Haad called on Somalis to oppose the recognition and warned against any attempts to claim Somali territory, urging people in Somaliland to reject the move.
Religious scholar Sheikh Mohamud Sheikh Abulbari also condemned Israel’s decision, describing it as unacceptable and saying it was wrong to welcome Israel into any part of Somalia, citing Israel’s actions toward Palestinians and Muslims at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Somalia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Abukar Dahir Osman protested the recognition at the Security Council meeting Monday. “Israel’s action not only sets a dangerous precedent but also poses a serious threat to regional and international peace and security,” he told the council.
In Istanbul on Tuesday, Mohamud expressed gratitude to regional and international institutions that opposed Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, describing it as a violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, the African Union’s principles, and established diplomatic norms.
“This sets a dangerous precedent that is contrary to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference that underpins in all international systems,” Mohamud said, standing alongside Erdogan.
“Such actions are creating conditions that embolden violent extremist groups who thrive on narratives of external interference,” Mohamud said. “The result is cascading insecurity for Somalia and the wider region of the Horn of Africa already strained by armed violent, humanitarian pressures and political fragility”
Erdogan expressed strong support for Somalia’s unity and integrity and condemned Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as “illegitimate and unacceptable.”
“The preservation of Somalia’s unity and integrity under all circumstances is a priority for us,” Erdogan said, accusing Israel of attempting to drag the Horn of Africa into instability.
Turkiye has become one of Somalia’s closest allies over the past decade, providing military training and supporting infrastructure projects. It operates a military base in Mogadishu, where Somali forces are trained, and has dispatched a seismic research vessel — escorted by naval ships — to survey Somalia’s coast for potential oil and gas reserves. Erdogan said Turkiye plans to begin drilling operations in Somalia in 2026.
Ankara has called Israel’s move unlawful and warned it could destabilize the fragile balance in the Horn of Africa. The reasons behind Israel’s declaration remain unclear.
Earlier in 2025, Turkiye hosted talks between Ethiopia and Somalia to address tensions sparked by a deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
In January 2024, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland to lease land along its coastline for a naval base. In return, Ethiopia pledged to recognize Somaliland’s independence — a step Somalia says violates its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Turkiye on Tuesday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following Israel’s announcement.
At a UN Security Council emergency meeting Monday, Somalia protested the recognition saying it poses regional security issues. The Israeli representative decried those comments as a double standard because other nations have recognized Palestine as a state. The US special representative said the country’s position on Somalia remains unchanged.
Last week, Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland, drawing strong condemnation from Turkiye — already at odds with Israel over the war in Gaza — as well as from Somalia and other nations.
Somaliland, a territory of more than 3 million people in the Horn of Africa, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 during a period of conflict that left the country fragile. Despite having its own government and currency, Somaliland had never been recognized by any nation until Friday.
In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, crowds gathered at the main stadium for a rally led by prominent religious figures who condemned Israel’s recognition and called for unity in defense of Somalia’s territorial integrity.
Similar protests were reported in Baidoa in the southwest, Guriel and Dhusamareeb in central Somalia, and Lasanod and Buhoodle in the northeast. Protesters in those towns chanted slogans rejecting the recognition and waved Somali flags, according to residents and video footage shared online.
The combined protests marked the largest turnout of protesters since Israel’s declaration.
At the Mogadishu rally, traditional leader Mohamed Hassan Haad called on Somalis to oppose the recognition and warned against any attempts to claim Somali territory, urging people in Somaliland to reject the move.
Religious scholar Sheikh Mohamud Sheikh Abulbari also condemned Israel’s decision, describing it as unacceptable and saying it was wrong to welcome Israel into any part of Somalia, citing Israel’s actions toward Palestinians and Muslims at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Somalia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Abukar Dahir Osman protested the recognition at the Security Council meeting Monday. “Israel’s action not only sets a dangerous precedent but also poses a serious threat to regional and international peace and security,” he told the council.
In Istanbul on Tuesday, Mohamud expressed gratitude to regional and international institutions that opposed Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, describing it as a violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, the African Union’s principles, and established diplomatic norms.
“This sets a dangerous precedent that is contrary to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference that underpins in all international systems,” Mohamud said, standing alongside Erdogan.
“Such actions are creating conditions that embolden violent extremist groups who thrive on narratives of external interference,” Mohamud said. “The result is cascading insecurity for Somalia and the wider region of the Horn of Africa already strained by armed violent, humanitarian pressures and political fragility”
Erdogan expressed strong support for Somalia’s unity and integrity and condemned Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland as “illegitimate and unacceptable.”
“The preservation of Somalia’s unity and integrity under all circumstances is a priority for us,” Erdogan said, accusing Israel of attempting to drag the Horn of Africa into instability.
Turkiye has become one of Somalia’s closest allies over the past decade, providing military training and supporting infrastructure projects. It operates a military base in Mogadishu, where Somali forces are trained, and has dispatched a seismic research vessel — escorted by naval ships — to survey Somalia’s coast for potential oil and gas reserves. Erdogan said Turkiye plans to begin drilling operations in Somalia in 2026.
Ankara has called Israel’s move unlawful and warned it could destabilize the fragile balance in the Horn of Africa. The reasons behind Israel’s declaration remain unclear.
Earlier in 2025, Turkiye hosted talks between Ethiopia and Somalia to address tensions sparked by a deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
In January 2024, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland to lease land along its coastline for a naval base. In return, Ethiopia pledged to recognize Somaliland’s independence — a step Somalia says violates its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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