The European Union announced a new contribution of 14 million euros in support of East Jerusalem hospitals, in order to maintain the vital medical services provided to Palestinians in the city.
According to a statement issued by the Office of the Representative of the European Union, the Union has provided 13 million euros, and the Government of Italy provided the remaining one million.
The EU has been supporting the Palestinian Authority since 2012 with regular contributions to cover the cost of medical transfers to hospitals in East Jerusalem, which have so far amounted to more than 100 million euros, the statement said.
These hospitals are an integral part of the Palestinian health care system, which provides specialized services that are not found anywhere in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Yesterday, EU Representative Ralf Tarraf and Italian Consul General Fabio Sokolovic joined the Red Nose crew in a visit to the hospital to celebrate the Christmas season.
The clowning doctors visit the patients at the hospital as part of a series of visits organized by the European Union to several hospitals in Jerusalem.
The representative of the European Union said that the Union was committed to supporting Jerusalem hospitals, noting that it was among the very few Palestinian institutions operating in Jerusalem.
Most of the European Union's aid to the Palestinian Authority was channeled through a financial mechanism launched in 2008 to support the PA's reform and development plan and the subsequent Palestinian national plans and agendas.
In East Jerusalem, there are six health institutions: Al-Matala Hospital, Al-Makassed Hospital, St. John Eye Hospital, Red Crescent Society, Women's Surgery and Princess Basma Rehabilitation Center.