U.S. Department of State
Jan 31, 2008

Additional United States Contribution to Refugees and Conflict Victims in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Africa

Additional United States Contribution to Refugees and Conflict Victims
in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Africa
Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:49:57 -0600

Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
January 31, 2008

Additional United States Contribution to Refugees and Conflict Victims
in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Africa

The President has authorized the use of $32 million from the U.S.
Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) Fund to meet
unexpected urgent refugee protection and assistance needs related to
the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza and
to conflicts in Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the
Central African Republic (CAR), and Sudan and Chad, and to support the
return and reintegration of Mauritanian refugees to Mauritania.

The drawdown provides $14 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) 2008 Emergency Appeal
for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This emergency funding will support
humanitarian assistance for over 1 million Palestinian refugees in
Gaza and over 700,000 in the West Bank.

It also provides $10 million to address urgent needs of Somali
refugees and conflict victims who continue to flee to Kenya, Ethiopia
and Yemen, to escape the conflict in Somalia.

The authorization also provides $4 million for organizations that are
providing assistance to refugees from the DRC to Uganda and Rwanda,
from Darfur to eastern CAR, and from CAR to Cameroon. An additional $2
million will be used to support the Chadian Police Humanitarian
Protection Force, a key element of the UN Mission in the Central
African Republic and Chad's (MINURCAT's) effort to fill the security
gap in eastern Chad.

An additional $2 million will be provided for the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR), and partner organizations to assist in
repatriating and reintegrating some 24,000 Mauritanian refugees from
Senegal and Mali after two decades of exile.

The ERMA Fund is a no-year appropriation that is drawn upon to meet
unanticipated refugee and migration emergency needs whenever the
President determines that it is important to the national interest to
do so. ERMA provides critical flexibility to respond on a timely basis
to emergency refugee and migration crises around the world.

Implementing Organizations

Beneficiaries

Contribution

UNRWA

Palestinian refugees in West Bank & Gaza

$14 million

UNHCR, other international organizations (IOs), and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs)

Somali refugees and conflict victims

$10 million

IOs and NGOs

DRC refugees in Uganda & Rwanda; Darfurian refugees in CAR; CAR
refugees in Cameroon

$4 million

UN - MINURCAT

Refugees, conflict victims, and humanitarian relief workers in Eastern Chad

$2 million

UNHCR, other IOs, and NGOs

Mauritanian refugees

$2 million

$32 million

2008/074

The drawdown provides $14 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) 2008 Emergency Appeal
for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This emergency funding will support
humanitarian assistance for over 1 million Palestinian refugees in
Gaza and over 700,000 in the West Bank.

It also provides $10 million to address urgent needs of Somali
refugees and conflict victims who continue to flee to Kenya, Ethiopia
and Yemen, to escape the conflict in Somalia.

The authorization also provides $4 million for organizations that are
providing assistance to refugees from the DRC to Uganda and Rwanda,
from Darfur to eastern CAR, and from CAR to Cameroon. An additional $2
million will be used to support the Chadian Police Humanitarian
Protection Force, a key element of the UN Mission in the Central
African Republic and Chad's (MINURCAT's) effort to fill the security
gap in eastern Chad.

An additional $2 million will be provided for the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR), and partner organizations to assist in
repatriating and reintegrating some 24,000 Mauritanian refugees from
Senegal and Mali after two decades of exile.

The ERMA Fund is a no-year appropriation that is drawn upon to meet
unanticipated refugee and migration emergency needs whenever the
President determines that it is important to the national interest to
do so. ERMA provides critical flexibility to respond on a timely basis
to emergency refugee and migration crises around the world.

Implementing Organizations

Beneficiaries

Contribution
UNRWA

Palestinian refugees in West Bank & Gaza

$14 million

UNHCR, other international organizations (IOs), and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs)

Somali refugees and conflict victims

$10 million

IOs and NGOs

DRC refugees in Uganda & Rwanda; Darfurian refugees in CAR; CAR
refugees in Cameroon
$4 million

UN - MINURCAT

Refugees, conflict victims, and humanitarian relief workers in Eastern Chad

$2 million

UNHCR, other IOs, and NGOs

Mauritanian refugees

$2 million

$32 million

2008/074

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