Supplementary memorandum submitted by
International Service
The effectiveness of aid from UK and EU
sources on Palestinian poverty levels, how it is targeted and
what could be done to prevent it from being wasted or destroyed.
THE COST OF SECURITY FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS
This paper is being submitted as a supplementary
to our memoranda on "Conditions for Aid".
A key practical concern to many NGOs working
in the Palestinian Territories during the period since the start
of the second intifada, has been the drastically increased cost
of providing security for their personnel.
Given the dramatically rising rates of poverty
and the difficulty in moving from place to place encountered by
the vast majority of Palestinians living in the territories, international
personnel have been able to plug gaps, keep people in touch with
each other, fulfil vital service delivery and humanitarian roles
as well as their more usual functions in capacity building with
local institutions.
We have maintained a presence in the territories
throughout this time despite the heightened security risks and
a number of evacuations which have occurred. This has however,
come at a high price. Attached is a break down of our additional
costs over the past 18 months which has been a burden we have
not been able to share with any of our major funders. We are receiving
increasing demands for our services in the form of mature professionals
who are prepared to work alongside Palestinians over 2-3 years.
These placements have proven to be effective in delivering important
development goals in the fields of health, human rights and education.
Without some recognition from DFID that these
extra costs should be shared we are unable to meet the demands
for extra personnel and must keep our programme at around its
current size. Our PPA was negotiated before the increase in tension
and the subsequent hike in our insurance and other costs so no
allowance was made for this. We believe that our people are performing
a vital service often acting as a link to the outside world and
as a bridge between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and we would
like to be able to expand our programme in line with demand. If
this falls within the remit of the enquiry, we would be grateful
if this could be addressed in some way.
21 October 2003
EVACUATION SECURITY COSTS FOR WEST BANK GAZA
| April 2002 to
March 2003
£
| April 2003 to
July 2003
£ |
| Flights | 1,713.10 |
|
| Radio phone bills | 2,725.11
| 841.22 |
| Radio phones purchased | 2,494.52
| |
| Video camera | 558.32 |
|
| Stickers & flags | 439.85
| 86.39 |
| Accommodation/subsistence | 1,658.87
| 583.48 |
| R & R | 3,172.91 | 946.04
|
| Gas mask filters | 720.01 |
|
| Security meeting workshop | 547.95
| |
| Flack jacket | 2,408.77 |
|
| War & terrorism insurance | 31,500.00
| 15,750.00 |
| Total | 47,939.41 | 18,207.13
|
| | |
|
