Hamas condemns 'hasty' aid cuts

[HeiGou]

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/h...st/4890296.stm

Hamas condemns 'hasty' aid cuts
The Palestinians' new Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniya, has attacked the European Union and United States for cutting direct financial aid.

He said the move, taken in protest at Hamas' hardline position on Israel, was "hasty and unjust" and would not serve the interests of the Middle East.

The EU and US are calling on Hamas to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept past peace agreements.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the aid cut would hit ordinary people.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has received about $600m (500m euros; £340m) a year in aid from the EU since its foundation in 1994, with another $400m coming from the US.

The European Commission said on Friday it was suspending direct aid to the PA, with some $36.9m (30m euros; £21m) at stake in the immediate future.

Washington said it would suspend or cancel its projects though it would boost humanitarian aid to Palestinians through United Nations aid agencies.

Behind Mr Haniya's bravado, he and his ministers are deeply worried, the BBC's Caroline Hawley reports from Gaza City.

The new Palestinian government does not have the money to pay the salaries of its civil servants - it is broke and in debt, our correspondent says.

Officials say they will seek urgent help from Arab and Islamic countries.

'Everyone punished'

Referring to his group's election victory in January, Mr Haniya said "the world should respect the choice of the Palestinian people".

"These decisions were hasty and unjust," he remarked after meeting Mr Abbas, the Palestinian president whose allies lost the election.

Mr Abbas said the Palestinian people "should not be punished for their democratic choice".

By cutting aid, the EU and US were "punishing all the people, workers and families", he added.

The suspension of EU money covers all direct aid to the government and payment of public employees' salaries with EU funds through the World Bank.

But it does not affect humanitarian aid sent to non-governmental organisations or to United Nations relief agencies.

EU foreign ministers are due to meet next week to discuss what to do about future aid.

Facing the consequences

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Hamas had refused to accept "principles of non-violence, recognition of Israel and respect of previous agreements between the parties".

The group "must take responsibility for the consequences of its policies", she added.

But US aid channelled through agencies not linked to the government would go up by 57% in 2006 to $245m (£140m) and another $42m would go to supporting civil society and independent institutions.

Six Palestinians were killed on Friday evening in the deadliest attack levelled by Israeli forces in Gaza since the Hamas-led government took office last week.

A spokesman for Mr Abbas called it a dangerous provocation.

1: Distributed through World Bank $85m
2: For Isr/Pal integration $12m
3: For UN relief (UNRWA) $77m
4: Food aid $35m
5: Humanitarian aid $33m
6: Special projects $24m
7: Infrastructure $72m
8: Other donations by member states $262m

EU TOTAL: $600m

1: Unused funds from 2003/04 financial year $175m
2: To pay PA debts $20m
3: Spending on new Gaza infrastructure $50m
4: USAID projects $155m

US TOTAL: $400m
Sources: EU, US

Published: 2006/04/08 08:25:40 GMT

[jinn & juice]

My heart goes out to Hamas. NOT !!! :hiding:

[Arch_warrior]

The palestinians Vote why they want in power and the us and eu punish them for making that vote!!! im not suprised!

[Ghazi]

My heart goes out to Hamas. NOT !!! :hiding:

Salaam

What about the palistinian children

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[Kittygyal]

erm.. lost again :'(

take care

[HeiGou]

The palestinians Vote why they want in power and the us and eu punish them for making that vote!!! im not suprised!

Lenin once said that the Capitalists would sell the rope with which to hang them. Which may have been true actually if you think about how much the West proped up the Soviet economy. But I think it is a bit much to expect the West to give anyone the rope with which to hang them.

The Palestinians have made their choice. I would have made that choice too if I were Palestinian. But they cannot spit in the West's face and expect to be friends too.

[HeiGou]

What about the palistinian children

I guess that is in the hands of their Muslim brothers. Pity.

[Ghazi]

I guess that is in the hands of their Muslim brothers. Pity.

Salaam

True if only muslims came together we'd be the superpower.

[Kittygyal]

Salaam

True if only muslims came together we'd be the superpower.

yep that is so true :happy: *agree nods her head*

take care

[------]

True if only muslims came together we'd be the superpower.

Yh mannnnnnn truly said.

[Kittygyal]

Yh mannnnnnn truly said.

yh maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan that's what we say sis ;D

take care

[Knut Hamsun]

True if only muslims came together we'd be the superpower.

....But......ummm.... they have not come together for how long now?
Why do you think they have not?
And why can any reasonable analyst conclude that they won't unite any time soon?
Why hasn't some uber-OPEC alliance crippled western oil needs?
Tough questions, but you owe it to yourselves to answer them honestly.

[Trumble]

The Palestinians have made their choice. I would have made that choice too if I were Palestinian. But they cannot spit in the West's face and expect to be friends too.

I agree. This one can't be blamed on the West.. its up to Hamas. Renounce violence and accept the right of Israel to exist (which, whatever the history may have been, it now clearly does), and the flow of aid will be restored.

I really hope for the sake of the Palestinian people Hamas aren't serious about the shortfall being made up by other Islamic and Arab countries. If those had any inclination to help the Palestinians they would have done so years ago. Instead, the Palestinians got nothing but apathy.

[Knut Hamsun]

The palestinians Vote why they want in power and the us and eu punish them for making that vote!!! im not suprised!

Any reasonable palestinian had to have known the consequences of voting for Hamas. But it might just make men out of Hamas, now having to answer to a whole people for their everyday needs. Suck it up, boys, and settle this mess. The world is sick of the whole thing. 2 states now!!!

[Knut Hamsun]

I found this today, from the AP + posted at yahoo:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060407/...lestinians_aid

International Aid to Palestinians

By The Associated Press
Fri Apr 7, 7:06 PM ET



The United States has earmarked a total of $234 million in aid to the Palestinians for 2006 — none of it going directly to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority. The European Union and its member nations earmark about $615 million in yearly aid. A breakdown based on figures from the U.S. government, European governments and the European Commission:


UNITED STATES: $150 million goes to construction, training government officials and other projects, plus $84 million in humanitarian assistance paid through the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION: $148 million, including $21.6 million in direct aid to the caretaker Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. It gave $345 million in 2005.

GERMANY: $76 million, plus $56.6 million given through non-governmental organizations and U.N. agencies.

FRANCE: $73.9 million, including $30.8 million in direct aid to the Palestinian Authority, $6.2 million to the World Bank, $6.2 million to U.N. agencies.

BRITAIN: $61.6 million, half of which goes to U.N. agencies.

NETHERLANDS: $40.6 million, with $6.2 million of it going to the Palestinian government, and the rest given to U.N. agencies and aid groups.

SWEDEN: $30.3 million to U.N. agencies, plus $35.7 million given though NGOs.

ITALY: $27 million

BELGIUM: $13 million.

DENMARK: $4.1 million.

FINLAND: $7.4 million — half to Palestinian Authority projects, the rest to U.N. agencies.

GREECE: $6.8 million, though aid groups.

IRELAND: $4.9 million in aid, of which $923,400 in direct aid to the Palestinian Authority, the rest via aid groups, U.N. agencies.

LUXEMBOURG: $3.7 million, through aid groups.

SPAIN: $2.5 million, to World Bank trust fund for the Palestinian Authority.

LATVIA, LITHUANIA, HUNGARY, ESTONIA, and CYPRUS: Combined total of about $876,000.

No figures are available from Austria, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland, Malta and Slovakia.

[Ghazi]

Salaam

But lets all remember allah is the provider and if he will's he'll provide inshallah.

[Knut Hamsun]

Salaam

But lets all remember allah is the provider and if he will's he'll provide inshallah.

Actually, the post before yours details who the providers are. Or were.

[ubaid]

Actually, the post before yours details who the providers are. Or were.

lol, you make me laugh :giggling: