Finland Times

Heidi Hautala . Photo - Lehtikuva.

The Minister for International Development, Heidi Hautala is scheduled to make a 5-day visit to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and Jordan from Monday to review the Finish development cooperation efforts there, said a government press release.

 

The purpose of the visit is also to survey the Finnish humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan, said the press release.

 

During the four-day visit, the minister is scheduled to meet representatives of the governments of Israel, the Palestinian National Authority and Jordan. She will also visit a refugee camp in Jordan.

 

The occupied Palestinian territories have been Finland's partner in development cooperation since 1994.

 

The main sectors of bilateral cooperation are water, education and land administration.

 

In addition, Finland provides humanitarian assistance through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and supports development aid provided by Finnish and Palestinian NGOs in the region.

 

Finland's overall support for the occupied Palestinian territories has amounted to approximately EUR 14 million a year.

 

The civil war of Syria has created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis within the country and brought an enormous amount of refugees to neighbouring countries. During the conflict, between 2011 and 2013, Finland has provided to Syria and the neighbouring areas EUR 8.1 million as humanitarian assistance.