2009 Press Releases
U.S. Provides $200 Million in Budget Support to Palestinian Authority
July 24, 2009
Jerusalem
RAMALLAH – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, U.S. Consul General Jake Walles, and USAID West Bank/Gaza Mission Director Howard Sumka via digital video conference from Washington, DC to announce the delivery of $200 million in budget support for the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Secretary’s remarks can be found at www.state.gov.
Prime Minister Fayyad and his government have undertaken comprehensive reform of the PA’s public financial management structure and taken steps to control government spending and increase transparency. These reforms have been documented by repeated reviews conducted by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the U.S. Government. The Consul General noted, “The PA’s proven track record in managing donor funds in a transparent and accountable manner gives us great confidence in providing direct budget support.”
This $200 million in direct budget assistance to the Palestinian Authority represents the single largest transfer of budget support to the PA from any donor since its inception. It is part of the pledge that Secretary Clinton announced at the March 2 donors’ conference in Sharm al-Sheikh to address the immediate needs of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. By supporting the PA, we are working to help build the institutions of a future Palestinian state as part of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
In addition to direct support to the Palestinian budget, the U.S. continues an active humanitarian and development assistance program in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The U.S. was the largest single national donor to Palestinians in 2008, committing more than $600 million in assistance. In addition, the U.S. provided $184.7 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for assistance to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria in 2008.
For more information please contact the U.S. Consulate’s Press Office at 02-622-6908 or 02-622-6909.
