gaza crisis

• Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza: USAID has awarded eight new grants worth a total of $6 million to US NGOs to deliver humanitarian assistance in Gaza. USAID implementers continue providing food items, including canned cheese and vegetables, noodles, milk, canned beans and hummus, as well as non-food items, such as medical supplies, hygiene kits, blankets, and cleaning materials. Through its on-going grant with World Food Program, USAID has provided food commodities – wheat flour, vegetable oil, chickpeas, sugar and salt – to 109,000 needy Palestinians.

democracy and governance

• Women’s and Youth NGOs Receive Assistance: USAID completed a $160,000 project supporting the Ministry of Women’s Affairs by providing needed equipment and assistance to 5 women’s NGOs in the West Bank.  Under the same program, USAID provided $40,000 for Liqa’s for Youth Development Society, a leading moderate Palestinian institution, to upgrade its facilities.
  
  
• Workshop on Democratic Family Values: Under a USAID grant, the National Society for Democracy and Law completed thirteen educational workshops in Rafah and Khan Younis. The workshops, focusing on democratic family values, targeted nearly 270 Palestinian family members.

eCONOMIC development

• A Workshop Strengthens Palestinian Customs Operations: USAID organized and conducted a Palestinian customs workshop dealing with the future development of customs administration and related trade regulation systems.  The workshop brought together approximately 40 stakeholders related to customs operations and border management.  As a result of the workshop, a draft development plan was created to strengthen customs operations and establish effective working relationships between the Palestinian Authority and the private sector.