Brussels, 10/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 10 April the European Commission gave its approval for more food aid of EUR 5 million to the poorest Palestinian families among the non-refugee population in the Palestinian territories, indicated a press statement. This aid will benefit around 265, 000 people who are more and more exposed to the risk of food shortages following the escalation in the current crisis. The Commission has also indicated that this is an initiative in response to the appeal launched by the world Food Programme at the end of last year on the deterioration of the food security situation in the Palestinian territories. The Commissioner in charge of Development, Poul Nielson, stated, "The needs of the Palestinian population, already serious, have been made worse by the current situation. The food aid decision comes on top of what was already programmed for 2002 and addresses basic needs from a more medium-term perspective. We will continue to take whatever additional short-term emergency relief measures are necessary to help alleviate the current suffering. The Commission has indicated that this new aid is to be added to the EUR 15 million supplied every year by the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA - which helps Palestinian refugees in the Middle East). It is essentially targeted at 220,000 Palestinian refugees living in the camps in the occupied territories, in Syria, Jordan and the Lebanon.