Sudan pledges $10 mln aid to Palestinian authority

Dec 13, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya said Wednesday that Sudan had pledged 10 million dollars in emergency aid to alleviate a Western aid freeze against his Islamist-led government.

“President (Omar) al-Beshir has given orders to support our government and ease the effects of the blockade with 10 million dollars in aid,” Haniya told reporters in Khartoum.

Haniya, whose government has faced a crippling EU and US aid freeze since it took power in March, met Beshir late Tuesday.

They discussed “means of implementing the decision made at the Khartoum summit for 55 million dollars a month in Arab aid,” Haniya said.

He was referring to an Arab summit held in the Sudanese capital in March.

Haniya has been on a Middle East tour trying to seek alternative sources of funds.

Iran pledged 250 million dollars on Monday and Qatar earlier this month promised to pay the salaries of the Palestinian education and health ministries.

(AFP)