EU signs $46 million agreements to improve Palestine living conditions

[News_Editor]

EU signs $46 million agreements to improve Palestine living conditions

2012-03-21 09:41:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Union (EU) on Monday announced that two Financing Agreements were signed for a total value of €35 million ($46.3 million) directed for the improvement of Palestine living conditions.

Catherine Ashton, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the Commission, signed both agreements, which will enable a €22 million ($29.1 million) funding for the building of a medium-scale wastewater treatment plant in Tubas Tayasir areas in the West Bank and the upgrading of border crossing infrastructure at the Karem Abu Salem/Kerem Shalom crossing point, which will have a funding of €13 million ($17.2 million).

The Tubas Tayasir areas will be the second wastewater treatment plant of its kind in the West Bank and will also be the first to re-use the treated water for agriculture purposes. Therefore, the EU foresees that the outcome will not only be about sanitation but also about saving the limited groundwater resources of the occupied Palestinian territory.

Meanwhile, the Karem Abu Salem/Kerem Shalom crossing point project, which is currently the only functioning goods crossing point in the Gaza Strip, is part of the commitment made by the EU Foreign Ministers in the aftermath of the Gaza flotilla in 2010 to extend the EU's support to the improvement of the crossings infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.

The expansion of the crossing point consists of the construction and expansion of hard infrastructure, namely loading and inspection areas, warehouses, among other things, and the supply of equipment, such as IT, weigh-bridge, and x-ray equipment. The EU said it will be carried out by the Palestinian Authority in full coordination with the Israeli authorities.

Ashton, who in Brussels on Wednesday is hosting the Spring meeting of the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the donor coordination group for the Palestinian people, pointed out that through the announced investment, the EU will 'significantly contribute' to the Palestinian living conditions in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

"Fully aware of the scarcity of water resources in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), the EU has identified water as one of the focal sectors of its assistance," Ashton underlined.

"The upgrading of the Karem Abu Salem/Kerem Shalom crossing point allows for an increased movement of goods in and out of the Gaza Strip. The EU has repeatedly called for the opening of the crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza," she added.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-03-21

[TAWP]

I wonder when the countries in the region, pro-claiming to be supporting the Palestinian cause, will become the real contributors to their aid-packages...

[GentlemanJim]

I hope they can build it all without a need for cement!

[Colin Yai]

I wonder when the countries in the region, pro-claiming to be supporting the Palestinian cause, will become the real contributors to their aid-packages...

And I wonder how much of the money is spent actually on aid and how much finishes up buying more arms or in Swiss bank accounts?

[flying]

I wonder when the countries in the region, pro-claiming to be supporting the Palestinian cause, will become the real contributors to their aid-packages...

And I wonder how much of the money is spent actually on aid and how much finishes up buying more arms or in Swiss bank accounts?

Dont worry it does not scratch the surface of the 3 BILLION Israel gets from the US ...........But of course Israel only uses that for humanitarian cough cough reasons

[Colin Yai]

I wonder when the countries in the region, pro-claiming to be supporting the Palestinian cause, will become the real contributors to their aid-packages...

And I wonder how much of the money is spent actually on aid and how much finishes up buying more arms or in Swiss bank accounts?

Dont worry it does not scratch the surface of the 3 BILLION Israel gets from the US ...........But of course Israel only uses that for humanitarian cough cough reasons

Yeah is must leave a bad taste in your mouth seeing all that dough going from your Country going to A Country you abhor

[flying]

Yeah is must leave a bad taste in your mouth seeing all that dough going from your Country going to A Country you abhor

It is not mine so I dont care but............If the US are going to give there are certainly better/more needy recipients to give it to.

Lastly the truly sad thing is the USA themselves are spinning down a drain financially & Israel is one of the bigger leeches that should be surgically removed

[Colin Yai]

Yeah is must leave a bad taste in your mouth seeing all that dough going from your Country going to A Country you abhor

It is not mine so I dont care but............If the US are going to give there are certainly better/more needy recipients to give it to.

Lastly the truly sad thing is the USA themselves are spinning down a drain financially & Israel is one of the bigger leeches that should be surgically removed

Never thought that is why they are giving them the dough ,cos they do not want to see their greatest ally in the middle East "surgically removed" .

[coma]

Why don't they just build this infastructure on the IDF airforce bombing range. Cuz that is all they will happen to their 22 Bn Eu.

And they won't kill any Palestinians in the process. The thought is great but come on.

[flying]

I think it was Golda Meyer who said "If the Arabs put down their arms there will be peace,If the Israelis put theirs down there will be no Israel " .

Golda Meyer yes no prejudice there

Anyway...............lest we drift further OT

gnite

[Steely Dan]

Yeah is must leave a bad taste in your mouth seeing all that dough going from your Country going to A Country you abhor

It is not mine so I dont care but............If the US are going to give there are certainly better/more needy recipients to give it to.

Lastly the truly sad thing is the USA themselves are spinning down a drain financially & Israel is one of the bigger leeches that should be surgically removed

Never thought that is why they are giving them the dough ,cos they do not want to see their greatest ally in the middle East "surgically removed" .

Surgical sounds so painless and without collateral damage, but the would be surgeons favoured by some posters leave a lot to be desired. Also for whatever Israel receives it's contribution to science, medicine etc is enormous compared to that made by many of the other recipients of U.S aid combined.

[bigbamboo]

A mere drop in the ocean compared to the fortune Arafat stashed away, presumbably to help his people. What happened to all that money by the way?

[Colin Yai]

Yeah is must leave a bad taste in your mouth seeing all that dough going from your Country going to A Country you abhor

It is not mine so I dont care but............If the US are going to give there are certainly better/more needy recipients to give it to.

Lastly the truly sad thing is the USA themselves are spinning down a drain financially & Israel is one of the bigger leeches that should be surgically removed

Never thought that is why they are giving them the dough ,cos they do not want to see their greatest ally in the middle East "surgically removed" .

Surgical sounds so painless and without collateral damage, but the would be surgeons favoured by some posters leave a lot to be desired. Also for whatever Israel receives it's contribution to science, medicine etc is enormous compared to that made by many of the other recipients of U.S aid combined.

Hit the nail right on the head Dan ,What the Jews have contributed through science and technology for the advancement of the Human race is priceless !.

[metisdead]

An off topic post and a reply have been removed.

[geriatrickid]

I hope they can build it all without a need for cement!

There is no restriction on cement imports that is used for agreed upon social development projects.

[geriatrickid]

I wonder when the countries in the region, pro-claiming to be supporting the Palestinian cause, will become the real contributors to their aid-packages...

And I wonder how much of the money is spent actually on aid and how much finishes up buying more arms or in Swiss bank accounts?

Dont worry it does not scratch the surface of the 3 BILLION Israel gets from the US ...........But of course Israel only uses that for humanitarian cough cough reasons

Instead of cloaking your views in meandering words, why not just create a one liner that you can use on every thread. Your opinion is always the same and at its core is a fundamental sentiment.

[Morch]

I think those are good news. The almost only way to reduce levels of violence is to improve quality of life. The more people stand to lose, the less incentive they have to fight.

While EU members are the biggest donors to the Palestinians (followed by the USA, if I remember correctly), Saudi Arabia actually helps quite a bit as well.

Corruption within the PA is still an issue, though not as bad as it used to be under Arafat. Because of that and due to fears of funds ending up with terrorists, most donors apply some measure of control on spending and allocation.

Most of the aid Israel gets from the USA is indeed used for buying weapons made in the USA, so not exactly giving money away as such.

[OzMick]

It can only be hoped that a new-found attachment to their assets might sway them to stop inviting counter/retaliatory air strikes. In most societies, regard for their children would be sufficient; at least in those societies where there is no guarantee of entry to paradise for those killed in the struggle against the non-believers.

As the old muslim joke goes "Kids, they blow up so quickly these days!"

[jackr]

Top four recipients of US foreign aid requested in F/Y 2011 budget were...

1. Afghanistan - $3.9 Billion

2. Pakistan - $3.1 Billion

3. Israel - $3.0 Billion

4. Egypt - $1.5 Billion

http://www.forbes.co...-and-elsewhere/

A drop in the ocean; the EU gets around US$25 billion direct to coffers from the UK, with a total cost to the nation of around US$100 billion - rules, regs, CAP and fisheries etc - some comes back but most is sucked up. India gets about US$2 billion (a nuclear nation that won't feed its people). This from a country of 60 million!

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. Discussion of EU signs $46 million agreements to improve Palestine living conditions would be on topic while discussion of US foreign aid figures would be another topic altogether.

[geriatrickid]

The humorous aspect of the aid package is that both the PAL and the EU would prefer to channel the money via Israel. Whenever the Egyptian border crossings into Gaza or the Jordanian crossings into the west bank are used, time, money and property are lost. When the projects go via Israel, the losses are minimal since there are no sticky fingers on that route. It is a little secret no one likes to discuss. Gaza is a nice money maker for Egypt as the Gaza arabs have to bribe and pay fees at those crossings.

[Steely Dan]

The humorous aspect of the aid package is that both the PAL and the EU would prefer to channel the money via Israel. Whenever the Egyptian border crossings into Gaza or the Jordanian crossings into the west bank are used, time, money and property are lost. When the projects go via Israel, the losses are minimal since there are no sticky fingers on that route. It is a little secret no one likes to discuss. Gaza is a nice money maker for Egypt as the Gaza arabs have to bribe and pay fees at those crossings.

I see. Indeed had Egypt granted Palestinian refugees citizenship ages ago this lucrative skimming of aid consignments would not have been possible.