Russia Provides Urgent Financial Aid to Palestinians

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

With the economic, social and humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories aggravating more and more, the Government of the Russian Federation resolved on providing urgent financial assistance to the Palestinian National Authority in the amount of 10 million dollars. The sum was transferred on May 4.

As arranged with the Palestinian side, the Russian aid has been transferred to the account of the PNA Head's office. It is agreed that the money will be spent on meeting the social and humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, primarily in public health and education, and inter alia will be channeled to specific medical and educational establishments of the PNA. Support is envisaged for measures to combat contagious diseases, in particular, bird flu, and purchase vaccines and other medicines. For all of this there will be strict control over the use of the money for the intended purpose, proper monitoring and audit.

This step has been taken by the Russian side taking into account the approaches agreed upon in the Middle East Quartet, as recorded, in particular, in its statement of March 30, 2006.

We count on other donors to find generally acceptable forms of providing assistance to the Palestinians likewise in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian territories and not permit a collapse of the PNA, which is one of the gains of the peace process.

May 4, 2006