The United States - through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - is providing $5 million in urgent COVID-19 assistance for the West Bank and Gaza. It builds on the U.S. donation of 500,000 Moderna vaccines through COVAX to the Palestinian Authority to help in the fight against COVID-19 and the $25 million in assistance USAID provided to the West Bank and Gaza earlier in 2021. This assistance will improve access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. The funds will also mitigate transmission and strengthen health systems in the region to prevent, detect, and respond to pandemic threats.
Since March 2020, USAID’s assistance in the West Bank and Gaza:
- Provided infection prevention and control training to 400 healthcare workers in addition to specialized training for 40 health care workers on supply chain management and supplied personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure safety for health care workers as they care for patients;
- Funded home-based care for nearly 8,000 high-risk individuals through medical mobile outreach teams and donated infection prevention and control hygiene kits to more than 6,689 households to safeguard families against the virus;
- Delivered emergency food assistance to nearly 1,330 Gaza households through the distribution of e-vouchers; and
- Provided supplies for infection prevention to more than 35,300 vulnerable individuals, and reached nearly 44,300 individuals with targeted communication about COVID-19 preventative measures. These efforts build on decades of life-saving work and U.S. leadership in tackling global health crises. Over the past 60 years, USAID saved millions of lives from diseases such as Ebola, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and now COVID-19.
Diseases know no borders. The U.S. is committed to partnering with Palestinians to end the COVID-19 pandemic, mitigate its devastating social and economic impacts, and build back a world that is even better prepared for future outbreaks.