EU Has Provided Nearly €30 Bn in Aid to Palestinians Since 1990s: Abu Zeid

The European Union has provided nearly €30 billion in humanitarian and development assistance to the Palestinian people since the early 1990s, making it the largest international donor to the Palestinians, Egypt's Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO, Ahmed Abu Zeid, said.

According to Al Qahera News, Abu Zeid said a meeting of the International Donor Coordination Group for Palestine, hosted by the European Union in Brussels on July 13 in coordination with the Palestinian Authority, secured pledges of around €900 million to support Palestinians through early recovery projects in Gaza and other humanitarian and development initiatives.

He said the early recovery projects remain in their initial phase and focus on critical sectors, including water infrastructure and waste management. The European Union views these efforts as an integral part of implementing the Gaza recovery and peace framework, as well as U.N. Security Council Resolution 2720 aimed at facilitating humanitarian assistance to the enclave, he added.

Abu Zeid said the meeting also reviewed the Palestinian Authority's ongoing reform agenda under a comprehensive EU-backed program intended to strengthen its capacity to govern all Palestinian territories through wide-ranging economic, financial and administrative reforms.

He noted that Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and Finance Minister Omar Al-Bitar presented an extensive update on the reforms implemented so far, drawing positive assessments from European governments and international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.

"The reform program received broad appreciation from European partners and international financial institutions," Abu Zeid said.

The ambassador added that the European Union remains committed to supporting the reform process and plans to provide €1.6 billion in financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority over the next four years.

His remarks underscore the EU's continued role as the principal international donor to the Palestinians, combining humanitarian support with long-term efforts to strengthen Palestinian institutions and lay the groundwork for recovery and sustainable governance.