EU warned not to cut Palestine aid

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 16/03/06

The head of a major United Nations aid agency will warn EU officials next week that cutting budgetary assistance to the Palestinian Authority would have a massive impact on humanitarian operations.

Speaking from Gaza, Karen Koning AbuZayd, the head of the UN's Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said humanitarian aid could not be separated completely from budgetary assistance.

The EU has threatened to stop direct payments to the Palestinian Authority's budget - which pays for salaries and utility bills - if Hamas does not move towards recognising Israel, announcing a permanent ceasefire and accepting the roadmap.

During an informal meeting in Salzburg last week EU foreign minsters discussed the possibility of channelling more money through UNRWA to offset the withdrawal of direct budgetary aid.

But according to AbuZayd, cutting direct budgetary aid "would have a huge impact" on UNRWA's work.

"We would immediately be asked for help if none surfaced," she warned. "We are not a government and we cannot be a substitute for a democratically elected government."

AbuZayd's comments come ahead of a visit to Brussels next week when she will hold meetings with External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief.

During talks with EU leaders this week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reported on his efforts to convince the Hamas government, to meet international demands.

But Abbas was forced to cut short his visit after tensions in the West Bank and Gaza spilled over on Tuesday (14 March) following the Israeli army's storming of a prison in Jericho to capture Ahmed Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

EU diplomats were yesterday (15 March) bitterly divided on how to respond to Israel's actions. While Sweden, Portugal, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain favoured a joint state- ment condemning Israel's actions, the Czech Republic, Germany, the UK and Italy opposed it. Instead, the UK wanted a statement criticising the Palestinian side for not respecting its obligations.

Article reports that Karen Koning AbuZayd, the head of the UN's Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), warned the European Union that cutting budgetary assistance to the Palestinian Authority would have a massive impact on humanitarian operations. She said that the two could not be completely separated. The UNRWA is the UN's agency carrying out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees.