Strasbourg, 16/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 15 January, the European Commission announced that it would allocate the first part of its 2013 aid programme for the Palestinian people - in other words, an envelope of €100 million for the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). “These funds for both the PA and UNWRA for early 2013 are vital for ensuring that there is no interruption in the provision of the basic health and education services which the Palestinian people need”, said European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle.
€60 million will therefore be allocated to the PEGASE mechanism, which supports the Palestinian national development plan by helping the Palestinian Authority - which has financial difficulties. This funding will “contribute to the Palestinian Authority's payments of salaries and pensions for the first three months of 2013”, the Commission said in a press release.
€40 million will also go to UNRWA's 2013 budget to support the provision of education and health services, relief and social programmes for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
In addition to the 2013 aid programme, a specific donation of €2 million will be made to the Jerash Refugee Camp in Jordan to rebuild shelters for around 100 of the poorest Palestinian refugee families. There are said to be 26,000 refugees in the camp, including 14,000 living within the official borders of the camp. (CG/transl.fl)