Hawaii 2024 Regular Session

Hawaii Senate Bill SCR22 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. 22 THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024 STATE OF HAWAII SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging the president of the united states to promptly reinstate funding for the united nations relief and works agency for palestine refugees in the near east to support its life‑saving and critical humanitarian assistance programs to palestinian refugees.
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3	3	THE SENATE S.C.R. NO. 22
4	4	THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
5	5	STATE OF HAWAII
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7	7	THE SENATE
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9	9	S.C.R. NO.
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13	13	THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
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17	17	STATE OF HAWAII
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29	29	SENATE CONCURRENT
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31	31	RESOLUTION
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37	37	urging the president of the united states to promptly reinstate funding for the united nations relief and works agency for palestine refugees in the near east to support its life‑saving and critical humanitarian assistance programs to palestinian refugees.
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45	45	WHEREAS, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been providing critical humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees since its establishment in 1949; and WHEREAS, innocent men, women, and children in Palestine continue to face dire humanitarian conditions, including mass displacement, loss of livelihoods, and limited access to necessities such as food, clean water, and health care services; and WHEREAS, Palestinian refugees are faced with escalating conflicts and crises in the region, resulting in nearly thirty thousand deaths and 1,900,000 people displaced from their homes; and WHEREAS, most of UNRWA's regular budget for Gaza pays for the salaries of thirteen thousand employees in the region, including teachers, health care specialists, engineers, and sanitation workers; and WHEREAS, the total amount of funding that is typical for salaries and operational expenses for UNRWA comes out to $30,000,000 monthly, according to Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communications; and WHEREAS, however since the start of the 2023 conflict in Gaza, a supplemental budget for UNRWA increased to 47,000,000 a month from 12,000,000 a month, according to Tom White, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza; and WHEREAS, that extra money has paid for flour for three hundred fifty thousand families, fourteen million food items, mattress pads, blankets, and kitchen sets, and the distribution of twenty million liters of water; and WHEREAS, some of UNRWA's budget in Gaza also goes to distributing life-saving medications, including insulin and vaccines; and WHEREAS, the United States usually gives between $300,000,000 to $400,000,000 to UNRWA on an annual basis, according to Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, which amounts to roughly one-third of the agency's annual budget; and WHEREAS, the President of the United States has expressed his commitment to promoting human rights and addressing humanitarian crises worldwide; and WHEREAS, in January 2023, the United States suspended funding to UNRWA amid claims that twelve of its thirteen thousand staff members in Gaza may have abetted extremist activities; and WHEREAS, in response, the United Nations Secretary-General immediately announced the creation of an independent panel to investigate the allegations made against UNRWA employees; and WHEREAS, suspension of funding to UNRWA by the United States government has severely impacted UNRWA's ability to deliver life-saving assistance to Palestinian refugees; and WHEREAS, reinstating funding to UNRWA is essential to ensure the delivery of critical services for Palestinian refugees, such as food, health care, and emergency relief assistance; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, the House of Representatives concurring, that the President of the United States is urged to promptly reinstate funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to support its life-saving and critical humanitarian assistance programs for Palestinian refugees; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, United States Secretary of State, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; Restoration of Funding; Humanitarian Assistance
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47	47	WHEREAS, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been providing critical humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees since its establishment in 1949; and
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51	51	WHEREAS, innocent men, women, and children in Palestine continue to face dire humanitarian conditions, including mass displacement, loss of livelihoods, and limited access to necessities such as food, clean water, and health care services; and
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55	55	WHEREAS, Palestinian refugees are faced with escalating conflicts and crises in the region, resulting in nearly thirty thousand deaths and 1,900,000 people displaced from their homes; and
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59	59	WHEREAS, most of UNRWA's regular budget for Gaza pays for the salaries of thirteen thousand employees in the region, including teachers, health care specialists, engineers, and sanitation workers; and
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63	63	WHEREAS, the total amount of funding that is typical for salaries and operational expenses for UNRWA comes out to $30,000,000 monthly, according to Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communications; and
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67	67	WHEREAS, however since the start of the 2023 conflict in Gaza, a supplemental budget for UNRWA increased to 47,000,000 a month from 12,000,000 a month, according to Tom White, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza; and
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71	71	WHEREAS, that extra money has paid for flour for three hundred fifty thousand families, fourteen million food items, mattress pads, blankets, and kitchen sets, and the distribution of twenty million liters of water; and
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75	75	WHEREAS, some of UNRWA's budget in Gaza also goes to distributing life-saving medications, including insulin and vaccines; and
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79	79	WHEREAS, the United States usually gives between $300,000,000 to $400,000,000 to UNRWA on an annual basis, according to Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, which amounts to roughly one-third of the agency's annual budget; and
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83	83	WHEREAS, the President of the United States has expressed his commitment to promoting human rights and addressing humanitarian crises worldwide; and
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87	87	WHEREAS, in January 2023, the United States suspended funding to UNRWA amid claims that twelve of its thirteen thousand staff members in Gaza may have abetted extremist activities; and
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91	91	WHEREAS, in response, the United Nations Secretary-General immediately announced the creation of an independent panel to investigate the allegations made against UNRWA employees; and
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95	95	WHEREAS, suspension of funding to UNRWA by the United States government has severely impacted UNRWA's ability to deliver life-saving assistance to Palestinian refugees; and
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99	99	WHEREAS, reinstating funding to UNRWA is essential to ensure the delivery of critical services for Palestinian refugees, such as food, health care, and emergency relief assistance; now, therefore,
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103	103	BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, the House of Representatives concurring, that the President of the United States is urged to promptly reinstate funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to support its life-saving and critical humanitarian assistance programs for Palestinian refugees; and
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107	107	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, United States Secretary of State, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.
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115	115	OFFERED BY: _____________________________
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135	135	Report Title:
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137	137	United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; Restoration of Funding; Humanitarian Assistance