UK aid

In December 2007, international donors met in Paris and committed $7.7 billion of support for development in the OPTs. The UK committed up to £243 million over three years for the OPTs, linked to tangible progress in peace negotiations, progress on reform and the easing of movement and access restrictions.

Our objectives are:

§         More capable, accountable and responsive Palestinian institutions;

§         A private sector that is better able to generate growth and employment;

§         Meeting humanitarian needs through more effective delivery of assistance; and

§         Improving the prospects for sustainable peace.

We work with partners to achieve these objectives, with the PA being our key partner. We work closely with the UN, World Bank and European Commission (EC). For example we have channelled significant support through the EC-managed PEGASE facility, which has been critical to meeting needs in Gaza.

Current programme

DFID has given almost £450 million to the Palestinian people since the start of the Oslo peace negotiations in 1993. The UK pledged up to £243 million over three years at the Paris donor conference, linked to political progress. The early delivery of some of this money meant that DFID’s planned 2007/08 spend in the OPTs doubled to £63.6 million. This was critical in supporting the revitalised peace process and PA reforms. So far in 2008 DFID has provided £76 million in essential services, financial services, capacity building, humanitarian aid, security improvements and private sector development.

DFID plays a leading role in:

§         Building the capacity of the Palestinian Authority (PA), through long term technical assistance and much needed financial support;

§         Innovative support to the Palestinian private sector, encouraging improvements in competitiveness and market access;

§         Security sector reform, with a focus on civil police and on coordinating donor support;

§         Supporting Palestinian refugees and improving the performance of the UN in its role as a provider of services to those refugees;

§         Ensuring that humanitarian support reaches those that need it most, including those in Gaza.