The European Commission announced on Thursday 20 December an additional €20 million to support the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and €73.3 million to improve the living conditions for the people of East Jerusalem and to foster economic development in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Of this €73.3 million, €31.4 million will go to the ‘access to self-sufficient water and energy services programme’, of which €14.2 million is the first tranche of the EU's €77.1 million commitment for the construction of the Gaza Central Desalination Plant (see EUROPE 12076, 11503).
The EU will allocate €29.9 million to the ‘Support to sustainable economic development and enhanced governance programme', which aims to promote productive investments in Gaza and enhance economic development in Area C of the West Bank through a better provision of services.
Lastly, the remaining €12 million will go to the ’Support to East Jerusalem programme', which responds to the deteriorating socio-economic conditions of Palestinians living in the Eastern part of the city. It will contribute to better education and skills development but also create more job opportunities through private sector support. Investments will also focus on the protection of the Palestinian heritage in East Jerusalem.
For 2018, EU support for the UNRWA amounted to €153 million and for the Palestinians it was €350 million. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)