The European Commission announces new large-scale support the Occupied Palestinian Territory
The European Commission has today announced new funding of €100 million for Palestine in the areas of water and sanitation and supporting refugees, as well as a package of support to Area C (the part of the West Bank under direct Israeli occupation), amongst other things. The EU is the largest donor to the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle today commented: "The decision shows our commitment to help the people of Palestine in the areas which are vital to their everyday lives, such as water, public services and infrastructure. It also shows our determination to do all we can to support Palestinian refugees living outside the OPT– providing them with an education and access to essential healthcare and social services."
The new funding will specifically go towards improving the quality of water and solid waste management in Gaza, reducing salinity and increasing access to water, as well as working with other donors on land-fill and sanitary solid-waste disposal.
Additional funding for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNWRA) will provide support on education, health, relief and social services for Palestine refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
Area C in the OPT contains natural resources and land which are crucial to the future economic growth of a Palestinian state. It is currently almost impossible for Palestinians and international donors to obtain building permits in the area, and community buildings and essential basic infrastructure (like rainwater harvesting cisterns) are regularly demolished. The EU's new funding will provide training and expertise, to help the relevant Palestinian Authority (PA) Ministries to plan and build new infrastructure and enable people to reclaim and rebuild their land there.
A further tranche of the new funding will go towards providing public services in East Jerusalem, where it will improve the conditions of Palestinian public buildings and housing in the historic urban core of the city by working with local Palestinian civil society and international organisations.
The new assistance will also help to provide technical assistance to the PA to improve public financial management, the rule of law and the development of the private sector, with a particular emphasis on agriculture, both in Gaza and the West Bank.
Today's package is worth €100m and brings the EU's aid to the OPT for 2012 to a total of €200 million, to which a further €100 million of 2011 credits to be spent in 2012 should be added. This money is part of the assistance provided under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). This is the main financial and cooperation instrument though which the funding is given to the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) countries and Russia.
Source:European Commission
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