Aid freeze on Hamas squeezes students

The US and EU decision not to provide financial aid to Hamas-led government is having a damaging effect on thousands of Palestinian students in Jordan, according to Palestinian diplomats in Amman. Donors say they will only revive direct aid to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) if Hamas renounces violence, recognises the state of Israel and signs up to earlier peace agreements. The financial crisis has depleted the PNA resources, leaving it unable to pay salaries to its employees. As a result, parents of about 6,000 Palestinian students studying in Jordan were unable to pay their children’s tuition fees. The majority of Palestinian students study in private universities while others have limited scholarships, meaning they have to pay for accommodation and other expenses. An official source from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said the organisation does not cover Palestinian students from Gaza because they are not under its jurisdiction. Many of the students were forced to drop out and return to Gaza, others moved in with relatives while many more have been burdened with debts, according to Palestinian diplomats. In a popular restaurant opposite Jordan University, Ahmad Abu Salma, from Khan Younis, sinks his teeth into a burger. "Hundreds of Palestinian students go without food for days," said the law student who comes from a middle class family like most Palestinian students in Jordan. "I consider my self lucky because the owner of this restaurant is giving me food on credit and the landlord told me to pay later. Many others are not as lucky," said Abu Salma, "Why are we being punished for choosing who we want to lead us." Abu Salma said he considered dropping the semester after being unable to pay tuition fees, but a decision by Jordan's King Abdullah to help the Palestinian students changed his mind. The king ordered the Ministry of Education to provide financial aid to all Palestinian students who were unable to pay university fees. A senior official from the ministry of Higher Education said a letter will soon be sent to universities across the kingdom to grant Palestinian students a grace period until September before demanding tuition fees. However, no straight cash will be delivered to the students. Meanwhile, Palestinian officials are in contact with a number of Gulf countries to provide a direct financial assistancet to the Palestinian students in Jordan and elsewhere, said the NPA ambassador in Jordan, Atallah Kheiri. Pleading to the international community to resume aid to the Palestinians Kheiri said, "by blocking financial aid to our government, the west is in fact punishing the Palestinian people." Palestinians in Gaza have been reeling under an unprecedented financial crisis after the US and the EU froze financial assistance to the PNA since Hamas's victory in the legislative polls in January, 2006.