6 January 2017
Medical Aid for Palestinians welcomes the decision by the UK's Department for International Development (DfID) to continue to provide funding to the Palestinian Authority, specifically for the health and education sectors.
In a statement released on 16 December, DfID announced £25 million of British support to the Palestinian Authority this financial year, which “will go towards the salaries of health and education public servants.”
The salaries of up to 30,000 Palestinian teachers, doctors, nurses, midwives and other essential health and education public servants will be paid through this support, providing “up to 3,700 immunisations for children, and around 185,000 medical consultations annually.”
This pledge reflects a welcome commitment to ensuring access to healthcare for Palestinians whose lives continue to be blighted by 50 years of occupation and 10 years of the blockade and closure on Gaza.
DfID also state that they wish to deliver the “best value for money” for the British taxpayer from this aid spending. The continuing occupation and blockade of Palestinian territory, however, ensures that the Palestinian Authority and the health sector remains dependent on foreign aid. The UK must therefore match its vital commitment to meeting immediate humanitarian needs of Palestinians with renewed diplomatic efforts to end the occupation.