US Senators Call for Government to Help Palestine Facing Covid-19 Outbreaks

Washington, MINA – Eight US Senators call for government to help Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to overcome coronavirus pandemic or Covid-19.

In a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Senators said President Donald Trump recently offered assistance to other countries, including North Korea and Iran in order to tackle the global coronavirus pandemic.

“The basis for providing humanitarian assistance to these countries is in the face of an emergency situation and of course also Palestine,” the senators said in a letter as quoted from Palestinian Information Center (Palinfo) on Monday.

“We call on the government to take all reasonable steps to supply medicine, medical equipment, and all that is needed in order to prevent humanitarian disasters to the West Bank and Gaza,” the statement added.

The coronavirus outbreak will threaten the health of Palestinians, especially the Gaza Strip, as one of the most densely populated areas and has been blocked by Israel since 2007.

The senators also said they were very concerned about the decision of the US Government to cut its aid to Palestine since January 2018, especially assistance given to the United Nations Agency for Relief and Work for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) which has been assisting the basic needs of millions of Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and neighboring countries.

The Covid-19 pandemic creates health, diplomatic and economic threats and because of its spread is concerned about the national security of the United States.

“In the interest of the Palestinian people and our US ally Israel, we are worried about the government’s failure to take reasonable steps to assist and overcome the public health emergency in the region,” the statement said.

The eight Senators who signed the letter were Elizabeth Warren, Walkeris, Van Holland, Patrick Leahy, Tom Odal, and Thomas R. Carper, Bernard Sanders, and Jeffrey A. Merkeley, and Sherrod Brown. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)