In order to ensure that critical support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for the provision of vital services in the area of health, education and social services to the Palestinian people is not interrupted, the European Union has adopted the second part of its 2013 assistance package for Palestine.

The European Union adopted the second part of its 2013 assistance package for Palestine which consists of €48 million. This funding comes from the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument and is the second part of the Annual Action Programme (AAP) 2013 for Palestine. The first part of AAP 2013 consisted of €100 million and had already been brought forward to the beginning of the year in order to respond to the pressing needs of the Palestinian people.

The funding will support Palestinian people and refugees art of its 2013 assistance package for Palestine. The adopted assistance package has two components: firstly, €108 million will be allocated to the PEGASE mechanism (an instrument to channel EU and international assistance as a contribution to the building of the Palestinian State), which supports the Palestinian National Development Plan by helping the PA to finance its budget deficit and implement its reform agenda; meet its obligations towards civil employees, pensioners and most vulnerable citizens, and maintain the functioning of the administration and the provision of essential public services to the population.

The Commission also confirmed that it further allocates a second tranche of €40 million to UNRWA's 2013 regular budget (General Fund) in order to support the education, health, relief and social services programmes which UNRWA is responsible for providing for Palestine refugees in West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.