It will take us a long way: Palestinian Authority minister thanks S'pore for S$652,600 humanitarian aid donation

The Palestinian Authority's Minister for Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian thanked Singapore for the US$500,000 (S$652,600) donated to the World Food Programme (WFP) on Nov. 4, which will go to humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

The essence of partnerships

Aghabekian said she didn't have a speech prepared but wanted to speak "from the heart".

She told reporters at a press conference in Ramallah, Palestine, that her meeting with Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan earlier that day was "the essence of a relationship that builds on mutual trust and empowering the other".

"Your help throughout the years, whether it is for humanitarian assistance or development assistance, has been making a big difference today in Gaza [when] assistance is needed the most," she said, addressing Balakrishnan.

"I was struck by your question, Minister, when you said, "What is it that you need from us?", and that was a clear message to me that this is the essence of partnerships."

While Palestinians are resilient people, foreign assistance such as the large donation Singapore offered can strengthen them further, Aghabekian added.

"The US$500,000 will take us a long way, a long way for people that are very devastated," she said.

Shireen Shelleh, honorary director of the Singapore representative office in Ramallah, echoed Aghabekian's sentiments, stating that aid offered by Singapore's government to the Palestinian Authority has aided Palestine in multiple ways.

Responding to a query by Mothership on the impact of Singapore's contribution of capacity building programmes, she added that the effects cannot be felt quickly, but are "very impactful" in the long term.

"It's very invisible. And the knowledge transfer is very important, because...when they come back, they will really transfer this knowledge to their colleagues, to people around them."

Skills aside, the exchange of social and cultural activities are equally important, Shelleh added.

"We need to raise the awareness about the Asian part of this world," she said, "our people...are very much attached to the way of living and the development that Singapore has."

State of the conflict

Commenting on the state of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, Aghabekian said that a ceasefire, while currently hanging in the balance, "means everything".

"It will take a lot of time, but we need to show the people that we are making a difference and we are diligent about it."

Singapore's support for a negotiated two-state solution, as emphasised by Balakrishnan, also aligns with the aims of the Palestinian Authority who want a "viable Palestinian sovereign state that lives in peace and security with its neighbours, including Israel," she said.

"We would want the whole world to rally behind the two-state solution."

Top image via MFA