Brussels, 22/08/2007 (Agence Europe) - Deliveries of fuel to the Gaza Power Plant resumed on Wednesday morning, after several days of power cuts. This happy ending followed several meetings on Tuesday 21 August between the Palestinian prime minister, Dr Fayyad and the European Commission.
These meetings mean that the Commission intends to immediately carry out, in collaboration with the Palestinian Authority, joint audits to ensure that fuel aid in the Gaza Strip is and will be correctly managed. In the meantime, the Commission, in agreement with the Palestinian Authority decided on 22 August to resume fuel deliveries “on a provisional basis” to the Gaza Power Plant with the expectation that any further measures and controls needed following the audit will be put into place immediately. In a press release published Tuesday, it points out that it has always done its best to provide emergency aid to the people of the Gaza Strip and that it has always taken action to ensure that this aid does actually reach the right people, namely, the Palestinians in need. The Commission concluded that it would, “be looking carefully with the Palestinian Authority into the audit results and will proceed according to such results”. (ol)