During H.E. the Prime Minister’s meeting with the ambassadors, consuls and representatives of the countries of the world to Palestine via Video Conference.
H.E. the Prime Ministers calls upon the world to make a firm decision regarding the threat of forming an Israeli annexation government
Shtayyeh: USD 137 million is the cost of the plan to face the “Coronavirus” outbreak, and USD 3.8 billion is the estimates of the Palestinian economy losses
He called for supporting and reallocating of development money for the emergency health needs
Shtayyeh: We are facing “Coronavirus” in abnormal conditions due to the occupation and its violations
Ramallah – The Prime Minister’s Office: H.E. the Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, discussed with the ambassadors, consuls and representatives of the countries of the world to Palestine, the Palestinian needs to face the Coronavirus outbreak. He also informed them on the Israeli violations against our people during the current times.
Accordingly, this was during a meeting that the Prime Minister held today, Thursday, via Video Conference, in the presence of the Minister of Finance and Planning, Mr. Shukri Bshara, and the Minister of Health, Dr. Mai Al-Kaila.
Moreover, the Prime Minister said: “This pandemic and its socio-economic consequences are a challenge for the whole world. But, we, in Palestine, fight this pandemic in abnormal situations because of the occupation and the limited sovereignty that we have over our land and borders, in addition to the additional challenges that the reality of occupation imposes.”
In the same context, the Prime Minister also said: “The Israeli compatibility between the two major parties on forming a government that adopts the principle of annexing parts of the West Bank, imposes further challenges on us, as Palestinians, and on the whole world. We call for taking a firm position against this threat to protect the international law and resolutions in these humane crucial conditions.”
Also, the Prime Minister informed the ambassadors and consuls on the features of the Palestinian plan to face the pandemic, the cost of which is USD 137 million. This plan includes providing medications, equipment and the setting up/preparation of the health sector to face the pandemic in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem.
Consequently, Shtayyeh explained that H.E. Mr. President has approved the emergency budget that the government will work by through reducing its expenditures to the maximum level, with maintaining the aids of the needy households, supporting the health sector and providing salaries and security requirements. Thus, the budget deficit will rise to become USD 1.4 billion according to the estimates due to the decline of the revenues for more than 50%.”
In the same context, Shtayyeh said: “The government estimates for the total value losses for the Palestinian economy reached USD 3.8 billion, which different sectors will be affected by, and the numbers will be audited by a mutual committee between the government and the World Bank.”
Furthermore, Shtayyeh informed the ambassadors and consuls on the mechanism of managing the Coronavirus crisis at the Palestinian level, through the establishing of a national emergency committee that health, economic, social and security committees are derived from. Each committee of those committees studies the crisis consequences from a different side. They also set out creative solutions for dealing with this crisis, in order to restore the life back to what it was on before as soon as the threat of the disease is over. In addition to that, there is a crisis cell in each governorate that local and popular committees, in each village, city and camp, follow it.
Additionally, Shtayyeh added: “Our people have an experience in dealing with crises and enduring the worst conditions due to our experiences with the occupation, where we have learned teamwork, and not to let anyone starves.” He also pointed out to the integration status between the government, the private sector and the civil society.
H.E. Dr. Shtayyeh called upon the donors to support the Palestinian response plan to face the Coronavirus outbreak, and to work on reallocating development funds to support the budget and cover the emergency health requirements.
The Prime Minister welcomed a press release issued by the Norwegian Foreign Minister, H.E. Ine Eriksen, who chairs the Aids of the donor countries coordination committee/ Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), that calls for supporting the Palestinian government budget. It also calls for working on fulfilling the new and emerging priorities resulting from the crisis, as well as directing/steering the support to the UNRWA and Jerusalem’s hospitals, in addition to intensifying their support to the private sector and the business sector.
Lastly, H.E. the Prime Minister thanked all countries that have provided aids or pledged to, for their standing by the Palestinian people in the common crisis that their countries are living, too. He wished good health and safety for all nations in the world and confirmed on the necessity of the mutual work between all the countries of the world in facing the pandemic.