The U.S. has resumed its financial aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) since suspending it in 2017, according to a general budget report published on Wednesday.
According to data released by the Palestinian Finance Ministry, Washington has transferred $10 million to fund hospitals in East Jerusalem.
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hold a joint press conference, in the West Bank city of Ramallah
(Photo: Reuters)
Under former president Donald Trump, the U.S. suspended its support for the PA in early 2017 and later also suspended its support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Sources in the PA told TPS that United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has also significantly expanded its activities East Jerusalem, and with its representatives meeting Palestinian tourism and industry officials.
USAID has suspended its work in 2018, but two months ago announced that it will renew its support for local projects.
The PA is suffering from a sharp decline in external grants, both from Arab sources and from European Union countries.
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Palestinians walk in front of a currency exchange counter in the West Bank city of Ramallah
(Photo: AFP)
According to a source in Ramallah, it is now in need of $600 million in emergency aid to ensure the payment of salaries to its employees and suppliers.
In 2021, there was a sharp decline in foreign aid to the PA budget, receiving $49 million compared to $321 million over the same period the previous year.
However, financial reports released by the PA show that its revenues during the first 10 months of 2021 were the highest in its history.
According to the PA’s financial report, its net income for the first 10 months of 2021 totaled NIS 11.4 billion, reflecting a rise of NIS 1.798 billion in comparison to 2019, and over NIS 3 billion in comparison to 2020.