Bulgaria’s Cabinet said that it had decided to give about 100 000 euro to people in the Gaza strip affected by the recent military operations.

The decision was taken at a meeting on February 26 2009, the Cabinet media office said.

On February 27, the European Commission said that Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy, would on March 2 pledge in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt) 436 million euro ($554 million) to the Palestinian people for 2009 at the "Conference in Support of the Palestinian Economy for the Reconstruction of Gaza".

The Conference, co-chaired by Egypt and Norway, will also be attended by the other members of the Quartet for the Middle East Peace Process: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Russia foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, EU HRSG Javier Solana and Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg; and representatives of all international donors to the Palestinians.

The EC’s pledge would be dedicated to humanitarian aid and early recovery of the Gaza Strip, the EC said.

It will also continue supporting the Palestinian Authority in the implementation of the overall Palestinian Reform and Development Plan as well as UNRWA’s programmes for the benefit of the Palestine Refugees.

Ferrero-Waldner and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Fayyad will also offer to all donors the PEGASE mechanism to channel their assistance to Gaza.

PEGASE is the financial mechanism to provide assistance to the Palestinians in close cooperation with the Palestinian Authority.

This mechanism provides support for the implementation of the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan, is open to European Union and other international donors, and
uses different modalities to transfer assistance transparently to the Palestinian Authority.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner said: "PEGASE is quick, effective, efficient and in compliance with the highest international standards of monitoring and control. In Sharm el Sheikh I will reiterate our offer to all donors to use PEGASE to channel their assistance to the people in Gaza."

The EC said that in Gaza, PEGASE is currently used for the provision of fuel for production of electricity, for the payment of social allowances to 24 000 vulnerable families, as well as the salaries of more than 28 000 civil servants and pensioners.

Since its establishment in January 2008, PEGASE has allowed the delivery of more than 550 million euro (421 million euro Community funds; 130 million euro from other donors) assistance to the Palestinians.

Ferrero-Waldner said: "Our priority today is to adequately respond to the disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza. By offering a substantial aid package we confirm our generosity and commitment towards the Palestinians.

"In Gaza, we will dedicate part of our assistance to early recovery after the conflict at the beginning of the year, notably for urgently needed removal of rubble and unexploded ordinance and for providing assistance for traumatised children. It will also support a "cash for work" scheme, as well as small repairs of those shelters that were damaged during the military attack."

She said: "But the crucial problem at the moment is not related to funding but to access. In the aftermath of the crisis, a clear priority remains the immediate and unconditional reopening of all Gaza crossings on a regular and predictable basis, for the flow of humanitarian and commercial goods as well as people."

The Commission has supported the preparation of the Palestinian Authority’s Gaza Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, in cooperation with the UN and the World Bank. On the basis of this and of its own assessment, the Commission will consider specific areas and projects for funding.

The EC statement said that its pledge for 2009 in Sharm el Sheikh would be comparable to its important pledge at the Paris Donors’ Conference in December 2007 - 440 million euro - that was made available in full in 2008 and topped up with additional resources. Part of this pledge has already been made available since January 2009.