EU says to work to deliver available COVID-19 vaccines to Gaza

Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, the EU representative in Palestine, speaks at a press conference in Gaza, Dec. 8, 2020. An EU delegation said on Tuesday that the EU will provide necessary medical gear for COVID-19 tests in the Gaza Strip and work to deliver vaccines to the besieged enclave once they are available. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- An EU delegation said on Tuesday that the EU will provide necessary medical gear for COVID-19 tests in the Gaza Strip and work to deliver vaccines to the besieged enclave once they are available.

"Once the vaccine is available, it would be first provided for those working on the front line of medical care and elderly patients," Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, the EU representative in Palestine, told a press conference in Gaza.

The visit by the European diplomatic delegation to Gaza is aimed to confirm support for the Palestinian cause, promote the full pursuit of Palestinian stability, and consider Gaza an integral part of Palestine, he noted.

Burgsdorff revealed that he would sign an agreement with the European Investment Bank next week to carry out a seawater desalination project in the Gaza Strip at the cost of 1 billion euros (1.21 billion U.S. dollars).

The press conference was held after a visit to Gaza by the heads of the EU missions as well as ambassadors and consuls of European countries in Palestine.

The population in the Gaza Strip has lived under an Israeli blockade for more than 13 years.