EU launches €883.6m Gaza assistance initiative — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The European Commission has launched an €883.6 million financial assistance initiative to support early recovery and reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip, according to media reports. Reuters reported that the European Commission unveiled the initiative, called “Team Europe Initiative for Gaza,” bringing together €883.6 million in funding to support the initial phase of Gaza’s reconstruction. In a statement, the Commission said the initiative was launched during the second meeting of the Palestine Donors’ Platform held in Brussels. The programme aims to support projects focused on restoring essential services in Gaza, the statement said. The initiative will prioritise the rehabilitation of water and wastewater infrastructure, debris removal, solid waste management, healthcare services, energy systems, and agriculture and food supply chains. The Commission said the initiative was developed based on the Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, published in April by the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank. According to Reuters, participants in the initiative include Spain, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden and Belgium, along with the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the European Commission. Australia and Canada are also expected to join the programme. Dubravka Šuica, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, said: “Our goal is clear: to help create hope, resilience and a better…