Besides the outpouring of international support for UNRWA in the wake of the U.S. aid cuts last quarter (see “UNRWA” above), there were a number of new pledges of support for the Palestinians. The Norwegian government agreed (5/2) to transfer $2.71 million to support the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics through 2020. Japan alone donated (3/4) $4.5 million to support the programs of the UN Children’s Emergency Fund in the oPt, $40 million (3/7) to support a variety of new economic development and humanitarian projects, and $500,000 (4/19) to the UN Women’s Palestine Office for a oneyear economic empowerment project in Gaza. The UN was particularly active. On 2/20, the UN Humanitarian Fund released approximately $900,000 to provide health and food support for 140,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Specifically citing the large number of Palestinian injuries stemming from Israeli violence against the Great March of Return protestors (see “The Great March of Return” above), the UN’s Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Development Activities, Jamie McGoldrick, released (4/26) $2.2 million to address urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza. Germany also contributed to relief efforts, announcing a €2 million (approximately $2.34 million) donation to support Gaza’s hospitals on 4/30.
The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, the main policy-level coordination mechanism for development assistance to the Palestinians, convened in Brussels on 3/20. EU foreign policy chief Mogherini hosted the meeting, and Norwegian foreign minister Ine Eriksen Søreide chaired it. According to a summary prepared by Søreide, the attending donors noted the need to “reduce and eventually lift the blockade on Gaza,” as well as the urgent needs for energy, water and sanitation, work, trade and job creation, income and liquidity, and humanitarian assistance. In keeping with that goal, they collectively committed €456 million (approximately $559 million) to a new clean water project, which was set to include the construction of a large desalination facility and upgrades to associated infrastructure. The new water project was not fully funded, however (the total estimated cost was €562.3 million, approximately $656.9 million). They also noted that work was under way to upgrade the electricity supply lines from Egypt and put in place plans to upgrade Gaza’s sole power plant, inter alia. Also at the meeting, the Israeli representatives “recommitted” to getting construction materials shipped to Gaza to the appropriate building sites.
Finally, the Israeli press reported that Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates transferred approximately $250,000 to the Islamic Waqf in early 5/2018 to finance renovations at Haram al-Sharif (Hadashot, 5/2). The reports, which were not confirmed, framed the donation as a direct response to the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem on 5/14.