EU Approves $274 Million in Assistance to Palestinians
Bethlehem, 23 Jumadal Awwal 1437/02 March 2016 (MINA) – The European Commission on Tuesday approved €252.5 million ($274 million) worth of aid for the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian refugees, in the EU’s first assistance package of 2016.
The package includes €170.5 million ($185 million) to be channeled directly to the PA — particularly to its health and education services — while the remaining €82 million is to go towards the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting Ma’an.
“The European Union renews its concrete commitment to the Palestinians,” Federica Mogherini, vice-president of the European Commission said in a statement.
“Through this package, the EU supports the daily lives of Palestinians in the fields of education and health, protecting the poorest families and also providing the Palestinian refugees across the country with access to essential services.”
However, while Mogherini said the assistance would allow for “tangible steps on the ground that can improve the lives of Palestinian people,” she also called for reform inside Palestinian national institutions.
She urged them “to grow stronger, become more transparent, more accountable and more democratic. Viable and inclusive institutions, based on respect for the rule of law and human rights, are crucial in view of the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State.”
Johannes Hahn, the EU’s Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, said: “The EU remains firm in its commitment to Palestinians and actively supports a two-state solution.
“Our assistance to ensure the functioning of the Palestinian Authority and to support vulnerable Palestinian groups, including Palestinian refugees, is a concrete example of this commitment.”
In recent months, there have been growing concerns over the future viability of the PA, with US Secretary of State John Kerry warning in December of its potential collapse if Israel did not reverse key policies in the occupied Palestinian territory.
From its inception in the 1993 Oslo Accords, the PA has been heavily restricted in its power in the occupied territory, and many critics have accused it of merely serving the interests of Israel.
In recent months, Palestinians have taken to the streets to protest the PA, including thousands of Palestinians teachers, who went on strike in February to demand the guarantee of their rights. (R07/R01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
