The European Union has decided to grant the Palestinian Authority (P.A.), in the West Bank, and the UNRWA, €100 Million so that they can continue to provide essential services to the Palestinians. In its statement, the European Commission reported that the decision of the European Union to provide assistance to the Palestinian people has two sections.
“€60 Million will be granted to the PEGASE mechanism that provides assistance to the National Development plan of the P.A. by helping it finance its budget deficit, and implement its reform agenda”, the Commission said.
This includes paying late salaries to civil employees, pensioners, low income and poor Palestinians, and helping the P.A in providing essential public services.
The amount, according to the EU statement, will help the P.A. pay salaries and pensions for the first three months of this year.
The second part of this aid (€40 M.) will be granted to the UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) so that it can continue its health, relief, education and social services programs for the Palestinian refugees not only in Palestine, but also is Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
The EU also said that there will be an extra aid package meant to help Palestinians in “Area C” of the occupied West bank, under full Israeli control.
“It is currently impossible for the Palestinians there, and for international donors, to obtain construction permits for the Palestinians”, it stated.
This is happening while Israel is rapidly escalating the construction and expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem.
