On Saturday 18 December, the Palestinian Authority and the European Union will launch this year's fourth quarterly payment of social allowances to over 56,400 vulnerable Palestinian households, across the West Bank and Gaza. The payment, co-financed by the Palestinian Authority and the European Union, reaches a total amount of just under €11.5 million (NIS 56,050,268).
Beneficiaries of the programme are identified in cooperation with the Ministries of Finance and Social Affairs, through the latter's national Cash Assistance Programme, designed to provide basic safety net to the most vulnerable Palestinian citizens. The assistance takes the form of a cash allowance and will reach 56,437 families in need - out of which 26,606 live in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Minister for Social Affairs, H.E. Ms Majeda Al Masri, said:
"This is the third payment of social allowances under the national cash transfer programme, which represents one of the many components of the Palestinian National Programme of Social Protection, initiated in 2009. This payment is part of the Ministry's efforts to curb poverty and reach-out to the neediest and most vulnerable Palestinian households in the West Bank and Gaza. We wish through our programme to provide quality services and build a brighter future for Palestinian citizens - one where they can live in dignity and freedom. I would like to extend my thanks to the European Union, which is contributing to this payment, and which not only represents the largest donor of the cash assistance program, but also provides technical assistance to the Ministry to support it implement the national social protection strategy."
The European Union Representative, Mr Christian Berger said:
"The European Union commends and remains fully supportive of the Ministry of Social Affairs' continuous efforts to improve the protection and empowerment of all Palestinian citizens in need - a major cornerstone in the edifice of the future Palestinian State. The Palestinian Authority's increasing budgetary commitment to the social protection sector is not only an important step for sustainability but also a further testimony of its commitment to fulfil its responsibility towards the most vulnerable Palestinians - which we welcome."
Payments are made over-the-counter at 47 branches of Bank of Palestine and Cairo Amman Bank. Beneficiaries may collect their allowances from 18 December 2010 to 13 January 2011, at the bank branch indicated by their social worker.
Background:
PEGASE channels EU assistance to help build a Palestinian State, in accordance with the priorities and needs identified by the Palestinian Authority in its three year reform and development programme (PRDP). Launched by the European Commission on 1 February 2008, it is the main financing mechanism of the European Union. As well as helping the PA to meet a substantial proportion of its running costs, European funds support major reform and development programmes in key ministries, to help prepare the Palestinian Authority for statehood in line with the plan proposed in August 2009 by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
Since 2007 the EU has provided total assistance to the Palestinian people, including civil society organizations and refugees, averaging more than €500 million annually.
For further information in Arabic and English on the EU's assistance to the occupied Palestinian territory and the PEGASE mechanism, please visit: www.delwbg.ec.europa.eu