 RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Palestinian Authority is operating on a quarter of the funds it needs to finance its activities, Finance Minister Salam Fayyad said on Tuesday before embarking on a trip abroad to drum up aid.
“Minimally, I estimate expenditures of the Palestinian Authority at $160 million a month at present. What we have is no more than $40 million a month,” Fayyad told Reuters. “Clearly this is not something that can be sustained.”
| Not without renouncing terrorism and recognizing Israel's right to exist, you mean. |
The EU, the largest aid donor to the Palestinians, has made resumption of direct aid conditional on a Palestinian administration reflecting [Quartet demands]. Despite the embargo on direct aid to the administration, EU assistance to the Palestinians increased last year to 700 million euros from around 500 million. Of this 200 million euros went through a temporary aid mechanism set up last year to channel funds to keep essential state services running while bypassing the government.
| Thus funding the gunnies and the Widows Ammunition Fund. |
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