Situation in the OPT – Emergency assistance – UNDP/ERD newsletter

Occupied Palestinian Territory: UNDP/PAPP Responds to Current Crisis with

$23.5 million Emergency Assistance Since September 2000

When the political situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory took a radical turn for the worse at the end of September 2000,UNDP's Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) shifted its emphasis to emergency projects while seeking to maintain ongoing development activities.  PAPP's initial response to the crisis with UNDP's own resources ($1.2 million in total, including $804,000 from TRAC 1.1.3. managed by ERD) attracted contributions in the following weeks from Japan, Sweden and Norway — a first-tranche total of $6.6 million was mobilized and partially disbursed during the three months from October to December. Approximately US$1.3 million was allocated for emergency support to the health sector, which is currently facing the enormous challenge of caring for the thousands of physically and psychologically wounded.  The remaining US$5.3 million is being used to battle unemployment, in emergency job creation projects designed to tackle the disastrous economic consequences of income and job losses due to restrictions on worker movements.

With the continuation of the crisis into the year 2001, PAPP's response and its reputation for skillful and rapid implementation has attracted additional funding from the donor community. PAPP's first efforts have been augmented by $2.8 million from Japan for health care and the rehabilitation of destroyed homes, public buildings and agricultural lands, $10.5 million from the Islamic Development Bank for rehabilitation works and employment generation, and $3.4 million from the United States for job creation through environmental rehabilitation in Wadi Gaza, bringing the total emergency response by mid-year to $23.5 million. In early May 2001, with an additional contribution from ERD of $200,000 TRAC 1.1.3. seed money, PAPP launched the Emergency Needy Students Fund to cover the tuition for Palestinian university students at home and abroad whose families can no longer afford to pay the cost of higher education fees, one of the first things families cut out of their household budgets when faced with soaring unemployment. This initiative has already produced contributions for Palestinian students from both the public and private sector.

PAPP's emergency projects have sought to incorporate development priorities such as building self-management capacity, making use of local material and organizational resources, and assuring sustainability, while at the same time addressing the unusual challenges that have arisen as a result of the breakdown in the peace process.

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Source:  ERD newletter (June/July 2001)