U.S. urges Arab states to give more to Palestinians

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday called on Arab nations to make good on aid they have pledged to the Palestinian Authority but have yet to deliver.

"It's extremely important that people pay their pledges," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters as she flew to London for talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran and Kosovo.

"States that have resources ought to be looking not for how little they can do, but how much they can do," she added.

Rice did not name any countries but a senior U.S. official said the United States hoped to see Arab states come through with more money, saying only Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Algeria have made major donations this year.

Among others, he cited Kuwait and Qatar, neither of which has yet paid any budget support to the Palestinian Authority according to figures released by the State Department.

"If you look at the Arab League commitments, those are really woefully short," the senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition that he not be named because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue, told reporters traveling with Rice.

According to U.S. figures, foreign donors have promised $1.55 billion in budget support to the Palestinian Authority for 2008, including $717.1 million from Arab League members and $834.9 million from other countries.

Of these promises, the Arab League members have actually delivered $153.2 million, all of which came from three countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Algeria.

Other international donors, in contrast, have disbursed $502.1 million, the U.S. figures showed, with the largest sums from the European Union, the United States, Britain, Norway, France and Britain.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)