EU Commissione, 100 mln extra funds for Palestinians

The European Commission today announced new funding of 100 million euros for the Palestinians in the areas of water and sanitation and supporting refugees, as well as a package of support to Area C (the part of the West Bank under direct Israeli occupation), among other things. The decision - EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Fule said - shows our commitment to help the people of Palestine in the areas which are vital to their everyday lives, such as water, public services and infrastructure. It also shows our determination to do all we can to support Palestinian refugees living outside the OPT providing them with an education and access to essential healthcare and social services. The EU is the largest donor to the Palestinian territories. The funding announced today brings the EU's aid for 2012 to a total of 200 million euros, to which a further 100 million euros of 2011 credits to be spent in 2012 should be added. The new funding will specifically go towards improving the access, the quality of water and solid waste management in Gaza, as well as working with other donors on land-fill and sanitary solid-waste disposal. Additional funding for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNWRA) will provide support on education, health, relief and social services for Palestine refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.