The European Commission on Monday has reported the payment of the first section of 202 million euros of the 1.6 billion planned by the EU From here to 2027 to help stabilize Gaza and the West Bank after the impact of the war launched by Israel after Hamas attacks in October 2023, as part of the Palestine Recovery and Resilience Program that conditions support for concrete reforms. Specifically, 150 million euros are planned to ensure that the Palestinian authority can comply with essential public services, such as paying salaries to teachers, officials and health personnel.
The payment of this sum is conditioned to an agenda of reforms defined in the multiannual program. In addition, the United Nations Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) will receive 52 million of this first section to cover “critical” services such as education, primary health and the help of Palestinian refugees both in the Gaza Strip, Bank and in neighboring countries with large number of displaced Palestinians, such as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, has affirmed that the support of the European Union to the Palestinians “remains firm” and that with this support, in addition to confirming the political and financial commitments, the “continued support” is marked to the role of UNRWA as much as a humanitarian and development actor.
“The EU is deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the worsening of the conditions in the West Bank. We remain firmly committed to a fair and lasting peace, based on a solution of two states,” he said tastically in a statement.
