Save the Children’s Europe’s Director and EU representative Willy Bergogne says his organisation was “alarmed” about the decision by several EU member states to suspend development aid to Palestine.
“We are extremely concerned that other EU member states and the European Commission are also considering similar actions to suspend their support to Palestinian families,” he told Al Jazeera.
On Monday, Germany and Austria said they were suspending their development aid to the Palestinians.
“Suspending aid is cutting a critical lifeline to an incredibly vulnerable population. Children and their families enduring this conflict have never needed support more,” Bergogne said.
He added that decisions about where to provide aid – and to whom – should be neutral, independent and impartial.
“Withdrawing aid to entire communities and populations based on the actions of combatants is tantamount to collective punishment and must be avoided.”
Source: Aljazeera
