|
COMMISSION PROVIDES €7 MILLION IN HUMANITARIAN AID TO
THE MOST VULNERABLE PALESTINIANS
The European Commission has allocated a
further €7 million in humanitarian aid for people made
vulnerable by the Middle East crisis. The aid will provide
access to food, clean water and sanitation for the poorest
Palestinians living on the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
There is also a major funding component to help rehabilitate
the shelters of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Jordan,
Lebanon and Syria. The aid will be channelled through ECHO,
the Commission’s humanitarian aid department. It brings the
Commission’s humanitarian assistance to victims of the
Middle East crisis to €37 million for 2004.
Louis Michel, Commissioner for
Development and Humanitarian Aid, said: “As the political
process in the Middle East may well enter a new phase, it is
important not to forget the humanitarian consequences of the
crisis and to continue assisting and protecting those who
grow more vulnerable every day. Palestinian refugees who
have been in neighbouring countries for over 50 years are
often forgotten by aid agencies and donors. We must ensure
they live in decent conditions. In the occupied Palestinian
territory, living conditions are deteriorating for an
increasing share of the population, as a direct result of
the conflict.”
The latest aid package includes food aid
for 12,000 Bedouin families in the Gaza Strip. Wells and
irrigation systems will be rehabilitated for the benefit of
5,000 farmers whose assets were destroyed during military
operations. In areas affected by the West Bank barrier,
rehabilitated water tanks and sewage treatment systems will
serve 8,000 people. Actions aimed at protecting civilians
from violence by all parties to the conflict will also be
supported, in conformity with the 4th Geneva Convention.
Meanwhile, the shelters of 4,000 refugees in Jordan, Lebanon
and Syria will be rehabilitated.
These activities will complement those
funded through decisions adopted earlier this year, that
have benefited almost a million needy Palestinians. The
Commission’s humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians
since the start of the Intifada amounts to €155 million,
making it one of the largest aid donors in the region.
According to the United Nations, 2004 has
seen the worst levels of destruction of the four years of
Intifada in the territories. The humanitarian situation in
Gaza has sharply deteriorated. Infrastructure and home
demolitions, intensified movement restrictions and
escalating conflict are the primary causes. In the West Bank
increasing numbers of people are prevented by the “security
barrier” from accessing healthcare, education, water
resources and the means to earn their living. About 2.2
million Palestinians survive on less than $2 (€1.54) per
day.
|
