RAMALLAH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed gratitude to Qatar for its financial support for the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority (PA), Palestinians' official news agency reported Tuesday.
According to a statement published by the official Palestine News Agency, Abbas thanked the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for allocating 480 million U.S. dollars, saying "the aid will contribute to alleviating the hardships facing the Palestinians."
"The aid, which will be both loans and grants, will help the Palestinian people overcome some of their hardships, face the challenges and strengthen their steadfastness on their land," Abbas was quoted by the statement as saying.
The PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that 180 million dollars will be allocated for "urgent humanitarian relief" in the UN programs and for supporting electricity services, while the remaining 300 millions will be earmarked for supporting PA's health and education programs.
Two senior PA officials, Abbas's Fatah Party Central Committee member Hussein al-Sheikh and Minister of Finance Shukri Bishara, recently visited Qatar to brief its leaders on the difficult situation facing the Palestinians cause.
The Qatari government announced that it will support the PA with a 480 million-dollar grant earlier Tuesday.
