Trump administration to cut $300 million from UN Palestinian refugee agency

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to cut nearly $300 million in planned funding for the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency.

That’s according to individuals familiar with a policy review into U.S. funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which provides aid to Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The U.S. supplies nearly 30 percent of its total budget.

The individuals say the final decision could be formalized in the coming days. They were not authorized to discuss the internal deliberations and requested anonymity.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during the war that led to Israel’s establishment in 1948. Today, there are an estimated 5 million refugees and their descendants, mostly scattered across the region.