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Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) in Jordan: "We see the great suffering of the Palestinian civilian population"
Photo: Hannes P Albert / dpa
A month ago, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, and Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) spoke of a "turning point." German development aid to the Gaza Strip came under scrutiny, and aid payments were paused. Now funds totalling more than 90 million euros will be paid again, Schulze announced in Jordan's capital Amman.
Specifically, an already planned pledge of 71 million euros for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) will be released. In addition, there will be an additional 20 million euros. The funds are intended to ensure the supply of Palestinians displaced in the Gaza Strip and to support Palestinian refugees in Jordan. Specifically, the aid is to be used for sanitary facilities in emergency shelters and the supply of drinking water.
However, according to the Development Ministry, the release of the money does not mean the conclusion of the examination of whether aid payments should continue in principle. This is continuing. Releasing aid now is a "priority" in view of the growing plight of the people in the Gaza Strip and the increasingly unstable situation in some neighboring countries.
"We see the great suffering of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza and want to alleviate it," Schulze said. In doing so, it is important to think about the "hopefully not distant time" after the war. With its payments, Germany wants to support institutions in the Gaza Strip that take care of the people. Schulze is referring above all to the UN Relief and Works Agency UNRWA. In Jordan, she met UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini for talks.
The Gaza Strip depends on international aid to survive. In 2021 and 2022, Germany approved more than 340 million euros for humanitarian aid and development. The funds paid to the UN Relief and Works Agency are subject to a multi-level control system. This is to ensure that funds do not fall into the hands of terrorist organizations such as Hamas.
However, voices are regularly raised that aid money in the Gaza Strip does reach Hamas via detours. Recently, UNRWA deleted a tweet reporting that Hamas fighters had stolen the agency's assets. In fact, the financial aid coming from the UN and also from the EU is subject to regular and strict controls. The terrorist group derives most of its income from large donations from the Arab world, taxes, smuggling and money from private groups disguised as "charities."
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