The European Union today disbursed pound 22 million for the payment of social allowances to 71,162 vulnerable Palestinian families through the National Cash Transfer Program, according to a press release.
For the past 17 years, the European Union has been a steadfast supporter of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), collaborating to ensure that basic social allowances are extended to the most vulnerable families residing in the West Bank and Gaza.
According to the press release, the European Union has contributed with pound 22 million ‘to support the most vulnerable Palestinian families in this particularly harsh economic and fiscal crisis.’
The European funding has been channeled through the PEGASE mechanism paying the social allowances of 71,162 families below the extreme poverty line. Another 37,774 families are covered by the PA government budget.
“The European Union remains committed to support the Palestinian social protection system, even amid the backdrop of fiscal crisis faced by the Palestinian Authority. The ongoing cash transfer program has encountered unprecedented financial obstacles, emphasizing the need for unified efforts among partners to ensure the financial and fiscal sustainability of the Palestinian social allowance system. Social protection as an intrinsic right and upholding it is a collective responsibility that all duty bearers must safeguard to make sure we leave no one behind,’ said Maria Velasco, the Deputy Representative of the European Union.
Source: Palestine news & Information Agency