Germany pledges $134m to support Palestine

Middle East Monitor  /  May 24, 2023

Germany has pledged to donate $134 million as part of a year-long funding agreement with Palestine ​​in support of the government and vital projects, WAFA news agency reported.

The Palestinian Advisor to the Prime Minister for Planning and Aid Coordination, Estephan Salameh, and the German Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Niels Annen, signed the deal today following the annual Palestinian-German government consultations in Berlin.

The $134 million donation package aims to finance local government development projects, including agriculture, civil society and the health sector for Palestinian families based in the Gaza Strip, the Occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

Moreover, the funding will also focus on drinking water in Gaza, where quality and quantity of water per capita remains below international standards, as well as employment and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Among the German delegation, staff from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development was present, along with officials from the KfW Development Bank, the German Agency for International Cooperation and a representative of the German Federal Foreign Office.

According to WAFA, Salameh delivered the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh’s greetings to the German delegation and welcomed their generous donation for the provision of essential humanitarian support.

He added that the government of Palestine hopes to enhance cooperation with the German government at all levels and will ensure German-funded projects are aligned with Palestine’s development needs.