Oslo, Sept. 24 (SANA) Norway will provide an additional 125 million Norwegian kroner ($13.2 million) in aid for Palestine through the United Nations and World Bank, including support for the Palestinian public sector, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on Thursday.
“The need for international support for Palestine is greater than ever,” Eide said in remarks published by ReliefWeb, citing the continuing impact of the war on Gaza and limited access to food, clean water, electricity and healthcare.
He said widespread destruction, resource shortages and uncertainty were hampering reconstruction and called for faster early-recovery efforts and greater access for humanitarian assistance.
Eide also called for implementation of a 20-point peace plan adopted by the U.N. Security Council last year, saying Palestinians should lead reconstruction efforts.
West Bank concerns
The Norwegian foreign minister reiterated Oslo’s opposition to Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank. He said increasing settler attacks, settlement expansion and tighter restrictions on Palestinian movement were worsening insecurity and undermining prospects for a political solution.
Norway is providing around 1 billion Norwegian kroner in assistance to Palestine this year.
The latest funding announcement comes as Eide chairs a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee in New York, which coordinates international donor assistance for Palestine.
Norway also co-leads with Saudi Arabia and the European Union the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, an initiative launched in September 2024 to support efforts toward a lasting peace.
R A H /ABD
