EIB Group donates €750 000 to support humanitarian relief in Gaza

LUXEMBOURG - The EIB Institute, the philanthropic and social impact arm of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group), is announcing a donation of €750 000 to help alleviate humanitarian suffering in Gaza, with a particular focus on medical aid and health-related support. The aid will go to those most in need, including children, who make up over half of the remaining population in Gaza, and are disproportionately affected by the crisis.

The €750 000 donation will be allocated in equal shares to Welthungerhilfe, and CARE, two international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) counting on established local networks and logistics in Gaza, and are trusted partners of the EIB. Support will focus on caring for children suffering from malnutrition and preventing disease, while also giving extra support to pregnant and breastfeeding women and other vulnerable groups.

Already in 2024, the EIB Institute donated €250 000 through the NGO Welthungerhilfe to provide health and nutritional support in the Gaza Strip. This aid reached some 90 000 people for essential healthcare services, including general and reproductive care, and mental health support, as well as providing more than 7500 people with emergency food and nutrition assistance.

“We are financing urgent medical and nutritional assistance and also working towards lasting peace in the region and a better future for the Palestinian people,” said EIB President Nadia Calviño.

“The EIB Institute is committed to supporting vulnerable communities in moments of acute need. With this donation, we aim to help trusted humanitarian partners bring life-saving medical assistance and relief to people in Gaza, with a special focus on vulnerable groups that are suffering the most,” said Director of the EIB Institute Shiva Dustdar.

The EIB Institute has in the past provided emergency relief in response to humanitarian crises and natural disasters, for example supporting populations affected by the war in Ukraine, the earthquakes in Türkiye, Syria and Morocco, and flooding in Slovenia and Spain. Given the complex operating environment in Gaza, the EIB will apply its rigorous integrity and compliance procedures to the disbursement process. No funds will be disbursed until each partner organisation has successfully passed all required checks.

The EIB recently announced the signature of a €400 million financing facility with the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) to support the economic recovery and resilience of the Palestinian private sector. The operation is intended to improve access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-caps, which form the backbone of the Palestinian economy.

This facility is a key component of the European Commission’s “Multiannual and Comprehensive Programme for Palestinian Recovery and Resilience”. With a total envelope of up to €1.6 billion over the period 2025-2027, the programme includes €620 million in grants to support the Palestinian Authority’s €580 million package for tangible projects fostering resilience and recovery in the West Bank and Gaza (when conditions allow) and the EIB’s €400 million loan facility guaranteed by the European Commission supporting the Palestinian private sector.

(Press release)