EU humanitarian aid for the Palestinian Territories

The European Commission is providing a further €7.5 million in emergency food aid for the victims of the ongoing crisis in the West Bank and Gaza. Since October 2000, conditions in the Palestinian Territories have steadily worsened and the situation has deteriorated even further with the rise in tensions following the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11th 2001. The money will finance the continuation of food distribution to 217,000 refugee families. Channeled through the Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), which comes under the responsibility of Commissioner Poul Nielson, this decision brings the amount allocated by ECHO in 2001 to the Palestinian Territories to €27.6 million.

The crisis in the Palestinian Territories has resulted not only in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, but also provoked new humanitarian needs among the wider population. Many people have lost their jobs due to border restrictions and closures, leading to a sharp economic downturn. The income of Palestinian households has fallen dramatically and more than one million people are now living below the poverty line.

In June 2001, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) launched a Third Emergency Appeal for $77 million to respond to the urgent and immediate needs of refugees families in the West Bank and Gaza. In response to this appeal, ECHO provided €5 million for food assistance to the refugee population.

With the approaching winter, there is an urgent need to continue food aid programmes for the most vulnerable refugee groups. ECHO has therefore allocated a further €7.5 million to enable UNRWA to cover the basic food needs of approximately 217,000 refugee families in the West Bank and Gaza Strip from January to April 2002.

The resources will be used by UNRWA for the purchase and distribution of 9,170 tons of wheat flower, 3255t of rice, 635t of lentils, 1905t of sugar, 1048t of sunflower oil and 667t of whole milk powder.

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