gaza crisis

• Humanitarian Assistance for Gazans: USAID continues to provide humanitarian assistance and food aid to the afflicted population in Gaza. USAID delivered $144,420 worth of medical equipment under USAID’s Emergency Medical Assistance Program. USAID is providing 40,000 blankets at a cost of $434,441 for distribution to the Palestinian people and medical facilities, 120,000 kilograms of plastic sheeting to cover broken windows and help mitigate the cold at a cost of $250,000, and $50,000 worth of canned milk powder for families and facilities caring for children. USAID continues to provide food aid to non-refugee food-insecure Gazans through an ongoing grant with the World Food Program. More than 21,000 needy families are benefitting from such assistance. The total value of food commodities distributed since the beginning of the Gaza crisis has exceeded $1.6 million.

• Grants for US NGOs Operating in Gaza: USAID awarded six $250,000 grants—$1.5 million in total—to US NGOs and PVOs operating in Gaza to procure and deliver badly needed commodities. Most of this will be spent on food supplies, soap, candles, and blankets. USAID is negotiating additional grant proposals from US NGOs to deliver needed commodities in Gaza.
  

eCONOMIC development

• Border Crossings Examined:  A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Senior Executive is evaluating procedures at Israeli crossings with the West Bank and Gaza under a USAID contract.  Her recommendations address Israeli security concerns and facilitating movement of cargo, including transporting relief and reconstruction materials into Gaza.  She has met with a broad range of local, international, and Palestinian stakeholders.
  
  
• Anti-Money Laundering Training:  USAID supported anti-money laundering training for 10 staff of the Palestinian Monetary Authority (PMA), PA Prosecutor’s Office and the Capital Market Authority.  The participants are now Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists.  The CAMS certification is an internationally-recognized achievement that designates the holder as a trained specialist in anti-money laundering programs and prevention techniques.  This is an important achievement for the staff of the PMA’s Financial Follow-up Unit and for USAID’s Modernizing Financial Institutions project.
  
  

Democracy and Governance

• Training for Newly-Appointed Judges:  USAID’s Rule of Law Project trained 14 newly-appointed Conciliation Court judges.  The training focuses on practical issues in civil, criminal, land, tenancy, and labor cases.  These judges have also taken part in seven weeks of theoretical training at the USAID-supported Palestinian Judicial Institute to prepare them to take the bench.