EU Will Move Ahead With Direct Aid to Palestinians Without Funding Hamas

By Victor Comras

The so-called Quad -- The UN, US, EU and Russia, agreed last month to find ways to provide direct aid to the Palestinian people while maintaining a tight freeze on funds for Hamas. (see my earlier Blog). Details of the plan have now been worked out and were announced at the EU June 16th Summit.

The program will commence in early July using the Emergency Services Support Programme (ESSP) of the World Bank to provide essential supplies in the health sector to Palestinian hospitals and clinics. This will be supplemented by direct allowances to Palestinian health care sector employees from the EU budget. The program will also engage the EU's Commission's Interim Emergency Relief Contribution (IERC) program to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential utilities such as fuel to the Palestinian territory. A Needs Based Allowance Programme will also be developed that will make payments direct to individual bank accounts as required to maintain critical social services. The program supposedly also includes measures to assure strict controls and full accountability and transparency.

When the Hamas-led PA government came to power, the EU suspended direct aid to or through the Palestinian Authority. Nevertheless, some 154 million Euros have been made available since the beginning of 2006 to support humanitarian and other programs in the Palestinian territories. This includes 64 million Euro channeled through the UN Relief and Works Agency, 40 million Euro to ensure uninterrupted power supplies; and 34 million Euro for humanitarian aid. The new program will allot some 100 Million Euro to handle emergency medical needs and assure an energy supply for the territories. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner flew to Israel yesterday to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and senior Israeli officials to work the arrangements. Israel has already signaled its willingness to see the assistance go forward. Mark Regev, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said: "Israel is receptive to assistance that will bypass the Hamas-led government, giving it neither legitimacy nor recognition. No one on our side has an interest in seeing hardship in the Palestinian territories."

The US has already begun to provide similar assistance, although on a more modest scale. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced May 9th that the United States was moving ahead with $10 million in emergency aid for medicine and related supplies. The delivery of the first $4 million took place on May 10th with the delivery of truckloads of emergency medical supplies for NGO-run clinics in Gaza. The remaining $6 million will be used for emergency medicine and equipment which will be delivered by UNICEF, and a specified USAID grantee.

While Hamas is apparently feeling the pressure from reduced US/EU funding for the Palestinian Government, they have sought ways to circumvent the freeze on their funds. Last week Hamas reported smuggled in some $22 million in cash that it claims were from private donations and Islamic Charities. Saudi Arabia is also believed to be providing funding directly to Hamas. Some of these funds were distributed to Palestinian government workers yesterday. Each worker reported received $100.00 in back pay. The payments were made from Post Office accounts rather than from commercial banks. Hamas reportedly needs some $130 million per month to cover salaries and other fixed government costs.

President Abbas has threatened to act to curtail further Hamas cross border cash transfers, but is probably powerless to stop such activity. He has reportedly ordered Palestinian commercial banks to refuse deposist or transfers of cash brought into Gaza by Hamas.

Lets hope that keeping the pressure on Hamas will result in agreement with Fatah that a “two state” solution is the only viable option for Palestinians.

TrackBack