PNA to ratify budget with shortfall
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 27, 2012 - 12:00am


RAMALLAH, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) will ratify its 2012 fiscal year budget at 3 billion U.S. dollars, with a shortfall of 1.3 billion dollars, a Palestinian official said Tuesday. Ghassan Al-Khatib, spokesman for the Palestinian government in the West Bank, blamed "unprecedented lack" of foreign aid for the deficit, warning that the shortfall threatens the PNA's ability to carry out its services, especially in the education and health sectors.


Palestinian Authority faces economic woes, public anger as statehood efforts lag
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Karin Brulliard - March 26, 2012 - 12:00am


RAMALLAH, West Bank — Even as attempts to end the Israeli occupation have idled in recent years, Palestinians and their international backers have hailed the West Bank’s expanding economy as one critical step on the path to statehood. Now the Palestinian Authority is mired in financial crisis, and there is a growing sentiment here that economic development efforts intended to lay the groundwork for independence have backfired.


Palestinian PM says freed US aid to help ease crisis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
March 24, 2012 - 12:00am


RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 24 (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Saturday the release of $88.6 million in development funds by U.S. lawmakers would help ease a fiscal crisis in the aid-dependant Palestinian economy. "This is very important in order to help us deal with the economic crisis," Fayyad told reporters in Ramallah.


U.S. lawmakers release $88.6 mln in aid to Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Susan Cornwell - March 23, 2012 - 12:00am


WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Friday released $88.6 million in development aid for the Palestinians that they had held up since last summer, a move that should help ease a fiscal crisis in the aid-dependent Palestinian economy. Representative Kay Granger announced she was ready for the entire $147 million in U.S. assistance that had been frozen since August to go to the Palestinians.


IMF warns Palestinians may face cuts without more aid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Lesley Wroughton - March 17, 2012 - 12:00am


WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Saturday urged donors to meet their aid pledges to the Palestinian Authority, warning that unless funding was forthcoming it would be forced to cut public wages and social benefits to address a deepening fiscal crisis. The IMF said the aid-dependent Palestinian economy had entered a "difficult phase" with a severe liquidity crunch worsening since last year due to a drop in aid from Western backers and wealthy Gulf states and Israeli restrictions on trade.


Israel lets aid into Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yoav Zitun - March 13, 2012 - 12:00am


Israel’s Ministry of Defense has decided to leave border crossings between Gaza and Israel open despite ongoing rocket attacks, in order to allow a flow of goods and aid delivered from Israel to the people of Gaza. Following the decision, the Kerem Shalom crossing remained open on Monday even though three mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip landed on the Palestinian side of the crossing. During the latest round of fighting in the Gaza region, approximately 50 rockets aimed at Israel landed in Palestinian territory.


What About Palestine?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Egypt Independent
by Ahmad Nagi - (Opinion) March 3, 2012 - 1:00am


A couple of weeks ago, amid the boring and ridiculous drama of the NGO crisis and the possible end of US aid to Egypt, MP Essam al-Erian of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and head of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee made a bold statemement on the question of aid and peace with Israel. “US economic aid is part of the [Camp David] Accords and if America decided to cut off [aid to Egypt], we will change or cancel the agreement,” said Erian. “Egypt is the first and final decision-maker and no one can pressure it.”


Tough Sell For U.N. Palestinian Agency
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - March 2, 2012 - 1:00am


Washington — Twice a year Filippo Grandi, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, comes to Washington to make the case for continuing funding for his organization, and the job only gets tougher. The U.N. agency, which is the primary provider of education, healthcare and housing for Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East, was never an easy sell on Capitol Hill and UNRWA has been working hard to convince lawmakers and administration officials that the cause is worthy.


UNRWA launches 300 million appeal for Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
January 17, 2012 - 1:00am


GAZA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) launched Tuesday an emergency appeal for Gaza and the West Bank worth over 300 million U.S. dollars. The appeal came on the third anniversary of Israel's three-week military offensive in the Gaza Strip and as the Jewish state kept economic restrictions on the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave.


Palestinians need Arab help urgently
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) January 17, 2012 - 1:00am


The economic situation of the Palestinian Authority has grown so serious that it is affecting the basic needs of Palestinians. Help from the more prosperous Arab countries seems the most likely way to avert serious damage to the social structure of the already-stressed Occupied Territories. The PA raises little of its own revenue, and now Israel and foreign donors are strangling it, mainly through suspension of the remittance of US$100 million (Dh367mn) in taxes that Israel collects on behalf of the PA.



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