Solidarity Dinner: Pence and State Department

solidarity dinner: President Trump has directed me to go to the Middle East in late December, Pence said in a keynote speech delivered at In Defence of Christians' annual solidarity dinner for Christians in the Middle East, according to The Chronicle Herald. He promised that, one of the messages that I will bring on the president's behalf to leaders across the region is that now is the time to bring an end to the persecution of Christians and all religious minorities. Pence discussed his plans at a religious dinner in Washington, where he stressed the Trump administration's commitment to helping Christian minority groups across the Middle East. Pence also announced Wednesday that President Donald Trump had directed his State Department to pull U.S. funding from ineffective United Nations programs aimed at addressing persecuted and displaced religious minority communities, and redirect that money to programs run by the United States Agency for International Development, as well as faith-based groups and private organizations. From this day forward, America will provide support directly to persecuted communities through USAID, said Pence. Pence complained that Christians and other persecuted people in the Middle East have not been getting the relief they need, and accused the U.N. of having too often failed to help the most vulnerable communities, especially religious minorities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.