European Commission allocates $230 million to support Palestinians
LONDON: The European Commission announced on Monday that it has allocated $230 million to support the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the Palestinian Authority.
On Monday, the commission announced that it had allocated €150 million ($172 million) to the PA to ensure the delivery of essential public services, including payment of salaries for teachers, civil servants, and healthcare workers. This financial support is contingent upon the implementation of the reform agenda, it added.
UNRWA received €52 million ($58 million) to support its education, healthcare, and relief services for Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Since late 2023, UNRWA has been crucial in providing aid and shelter to millions of Palestinians in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli attacks, some of which targeted UN staff and UNRWA facilities.
Dubravka Suica, the commissioner for the Mediterranean, said: 'Our support to the Palestinian people remains steadfast.
'With this (first) disbursement of €202 million to the Palestinian Authority and the UN Agency UNRWA, we reaffirm our unwavering political and financial commitment,' she added.
The funds are part of the commission's Palestine Recovery and Resilience program for 2025-2026, amounting to up to €1.6 billion ($1.84 billion), in which the EU reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people and its commitment to a two-state solution, as announced in April during the EU-Palestinian Authority high-level political dialogue.
'The EU is deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the worsening conditions in the West Bank. We remain firmly committed to a just and lasting peace, grounded in a negotiated two-state solution,' Suica added.
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