Tackling poverty in the Palestinian Territories with support for Non-Governmental Organizations
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2013 – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved today additional financing of US$5 million to an ongoing project to support Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in delivering social services. The World Bank Group development program for the Palestinian Territories has long recognized the importance of supporting NGOs to help promote social inclusion and citizen participation.
“The project will provide social services to poor and marginalized communities with a particular focus on women and youth and will strengthen good governance for NGOs,” said Sima Kanaan, Lead Social Development Specialist. “The additional financing will allocate 66 percent of the total funding to cover under-served areas where the Palestinian Authority has difficulties operating."
The project will utilize up-to-date data and poverty estimates at the local level to improve the targeting of services to poor and disadvantaged communities. The project will also encourage collaboration among NGOs and with the government and academic institutions at the local and national levels.
“The World Bank has long recognized the important role played by NGOs in delivering much needed services to the poor and vulnerable,” said Mariam Sherman, World Bank Country Director for West Bank and Gaza. “Given the challenging economic environment and high rates of unemployment, Palestinian NGOs fill a gap in service coverage and contribute to alleviating poverty. The financing provided by the World Bank will allow us to scale up service provision to the neediest in society.”
With the additional financing, the World Bank Group support of the institutional development of the Palestinian NGO sector totals US$38 million.
