The European Union is going to provide additional 22 million euros of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The new assistance package will focus on preparedness and response, health, food security and protection activities for the most vulnerable Palestinians channeled through the United Nations programs and other international organizations. The assistance is covered by this year’s budget designated for Palestinians, last year the EU provided more than 370 million euros.
The announcement was made as part of the meeting of the international donor coordination group in support of the Palestinian economy hosted by the EU in Brussels. EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini said that the meeting took place not only to review the continued support to the Palestinians but also to uphold the two-state solution. Ms. Mogherini also thanked Norway for its tireless work on the Palestinian cause. “Our economic assistance to the Palestinians cannot be separated from this political objective. We want to preserve the space for new negotiations because we want peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike,” she said.
Another bullet point on the agenda was taking stock of the past programs. One of the key programs is the Gaza Central Desalination Plant Program that seeks to meet the most urgent water needs. The available water in Gaza is among the lowest in the world and 97% of it is not potable. The project is providing water to around 2 million Palestinians and contributes to the environmental sustainability and economic development of Gaza. Development and humanitarian aid are framed by a European joint strategy in support of Palestine (2017-2020) that is run jointly with Norway and Switzerland. It covers not only humanitarian assistance but also seeks to improve democratic governance and capacity building.
