Disbursement to Palestinian public service providers and pensioners – EC Tech. Assistance Office press release/Non-UN document

The beneficiaries, who have not received regular salaries since February 2006, include teachers, doctors, nurses, as well as other people working in the health care sector. Each will receive NIS 1500 (270 Euros), which will be paid directly into their bank account.

This is the seventh time this allowance is being paid since the establishment of the TIM in June of last year. The payment is intended to provide a safety net to enable people to carry on working during the current socio-economic crisis.

Since it was set up, the TIM has provided support to maintain the provision of essential services in the West Bank and Gaza Strip through allowances paid under the Low Income Cases and Social Hardship Cases schemes, and by delivering fuel supplies to hospitals, clinics, waste water and desalination plants.

The TIM was established nine months ago at the initiative of Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. In 2006, EU member states together with the European Commission have allocated nearly 700 million Euros to the Palestinian people, of which more than 200 million Euros have been made available through the TIM.

This payment is made with contributions from Finland, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and the European Commission. Over one million Palestinians have now benefited directly from assistance through the TIM.