Palestinian PM Mohammed Ishtaye (Pic Via Twitter)Palestine has not received financial aid from any Arab country for more than one year, Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said.
"Due to lack of Arab funds, the deficiency in the Palestinian budget climbed to $1 billion," Xinhua news agency quoted Ishtaye as saying at a press conference on Wednesday (7 April).
"The Arab countries haven't sent any financial aid during 2020 until now. In addition, the US has suspended its financial support, which amounted to $500 million," he said.
At the conference on the coronavirus crisis in Palestine, Ishtaye said the government is ready for austerity and reducing its running cost.
"This will not be at the expense of the health, the safety and security of the citizen and the education in Palestine," he said.
The Prime Minister added the economic establishments, whether it is large, medium, or small, have all been affected by the repercussions of coronavirus crisis.
"The unemployment rate in the West Bank rose to 19 per cent, while the situation in the Gaza Strip is much worse," Ishtaye said.
(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.