EU offers €11 million to support vulnerable Palestinian families

JERUSALEM: The European Union has made a contribution of 11.28 million euros to the Palestinian Authority's quarterly payment of social allowances to poor Palestinian families in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

This contribution is funded by the European Union (€10 million) as well as the governments of Spain (€1 million) and Ireland (€0.28 million). It will contribute to payments made to around 67,500 families of which nearly 80 percent live in the Gaza Strip, the Office of the EU Representative said in a statement Wednesday.

“The EU's support to vulnerable families is a commitment to the welfare of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza,” said the statement.

The EU supports the Ministry of Social Development in serving a total of 115,000 vulnerable families through an inclusive and equitable social protection system.

"The poverty rate remains extremely high in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and eradication of poverty remains a major challenge for the Palestinian Authority. It requires strong and effective social protection systems,” said Deputy EU Representative Tomas Niklasson.

“Therefore, the EU is working closely with the Ministry of Social Development to meet this challenge while ensuring that the basic human needs for the poorest are met.

This is done by providing technical support for improving the capacity of the Ministry and by contributing to the payment of social allowances to those in need,” he said, adding that "the challenges here are enormous, but the determination to succeed is exceptional."