Int’l Aid Tripled Since Hamas Came to Power
The Dutch Foreign Ministry announced Saturday that it will be dispatching a “special grant” of 6.3 million euros ($8.4 million) to the PA in the coming months. Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen insisted that the funding is "also in Israel's best interests" as the money would improve the humanitarian situation for 17,000 armed men and their families.Read the rest
"This allowance will not only help increase safety in the territories but also will improve living conditions for police officers and their families," the Dutch ministry stated in a press release. "The Palestinian civilian police have played an important role in recent months in containing and calming disturbances among Palestinians, notably in the Gaza Strip; the police must be strengthened to maintain and enhance safety and public order in the Palestinian territories."
The United Arab Emirates have also shown their support to the PA, transferring $80 million in aid to the PLO, of which Hamas is not a member of and therefore does not violate US anti-terror laws.
In recent weeks, Qatar gave $44 million, Norway gave $10 million and Saudi Arabia donated $50 million to the PA.
Japan is also considering renewing direct funding of the PA. It has donated about $900 million to the PA since 1993.
The European Union is also planning to resume funding of the PA, with external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner saying that, "Hopefully at the next council we will be able to take a decision.” That meeting is scheduled for June 18. The plan is to supply $30 million a month to the PA.
Int’l Aid Tripled Since Hamas Came to Power
According to a recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), donations to the Hamas-led PA from foreign countries have risen by almost 300 percent in 2006, totaling $900 million – as opposed to $349 million the previous year. The sharp increase came despite the international boycott of the PA.
W Zip
No comments:
Post a Comment