Finland’s relations and development cooperation in Palestine
Finland’s development cooperation in Palestine supports Finland’s foreign and security policy objectives, namely the realisation of the two-state solution in the region. It strengthens democratic, accountable and resilient national institutions and enhances the capacity and opportunities of those Palestinians in the most vulnerable situations to cope in times of crisis. Finland’s support is directed to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.
Finland’s support to the Palestinian education sector has produced good results: better access to public pre-schools, fewer drop-outs, and increase in vocational training. Photo: Majdi Fathi / NurPhoto / Lehtikuva
Palestine is a fragile environment. Palestine’s development is hindered by the Israeli occupation, the fragmentation of the Palestinian population and territory, as well as political power and governance, and by a lack of democracy. More than 5.7 million refugees in Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon depend on UN assistance. The war in Gaza and the escalation of conflict in the West Bank have significantly increased the need for humanitarian assistance.
Finland supports Palestinian state-building both politically and through development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. Cooperation began in 1994, and especially in the education sector, Finland’s support has been essential and effective. Finland has also significantly responded to Palestinians’ humanitarian needs.
Objectives of Finland’s development cooperation in Palestine in 2025–2028
The objectives of Finland’s comprehensive activities in Palestine are described in the Country Programme for Development Cooperation in Palestine for 2025–2028. The programme aims to advance and support the two-state solution by strengthening key Palestinian institutions and supporting the resilience of those Palestinians in the most vulnerable situations in crisis.
Finland’s activities in Palestine are based on the premise that a functioning democracy, the rule of law, human rights and a vibrant civil society are prerequisites for sustainable development. Finland supports the rules-based international system and respect for international law.
Finland’s support strengthens Palestinian institutions and civil society
Finland focuses its support on education sector reforms and on enhancing the capacity of the Palestinian Authority (PA). In particular, Finland promotes Palestinian children’s right to education, teacher training, and equity and inclusion in education. Finland places particular importance on early childhood education and girls’ access to vocational education, and contributes to the digitalisation of the education sector.
Finland supports the PA in developing its capacity to draft, plan and implement inclusive and gender-sensitive national policies. The aim of these policies is to promote local socioeconomic recovery and sustainable development. Finland supports Palestinian civil society with a focus on advancing human rights, strengthening accountability, and empowering women and young people.
Objective: Democratic, accountable and resilient national institutions
- Palestine safeguards children’s right to equitable and inclusive quality education
- Palestine plans and implements inclusive policies forsocio-economic recovery and development
- National human rights and civil society organisations are able to fulfil their roles
Finland’s support for those Palestinians in the most vulnerable situations
Palestine requires international support to address its huge humanitarian needs, strengthen the resilience of communities in the most vulnerable situations, and advocate for their rights.
Objective: Resilience of Palestinians in most vulnerable situations strengthened and rights protected
- Palestinians in most vulnerable circumstances are provided humanitarian assistance and protection
- Llivelihoods of Palestinians in most vulnerable situations are restored and strengthened
Ongoing programmes and projects
- The Joint Financing Arrangement for Palestine’s education sector is implemented in cooperation with Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE). The joint financing supports the implementation of Palestine’s Education Sector Strategic Plan (2025–2027). The strategy aims to ensure access to education for Palestinian children, improve the quality of education, enhance the efficiency of education administration, and prepare for the reconstruction of the education sector in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Through UNICEF’s Education Quality and Inclusion Project (EQUIP), Finland supports access to education for the most vulnerable children, including children with disabilities, in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The project also supports the MoEHE in strengthening and expanding inclusive education in Palestine. It further supports children’s education and provides mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian contexts, including for children with disabilities in the West Bank and Gaza.
- Finland supports the PA’s capacity to provide livelihood-developing services to those Palestinians in the most vulnerable situations through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) TARABOT programme. The first phase (2021–2024) supported livelihoods for the most vulnerable Palestinians in East Jerusalem, Gaza and Area C of the West Bank, and strengthened the planning capacity of key PA institutions. The second phase (2025–2027) emphasises the financial sustainability of plans and identifies innovative financing sources for their local implementation. The UNDP TARABOT II programme also delivers humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza.
- The West Bank Protection Consortium (WBPC) is a programme supported by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and eleven EU countries, the UK and Canada. Its objective is to enhance the living conditions of Palestinian communities, especially in Area C and East Jerusalem, and to prevent forced displacement, address the underlying causes of vulnerability and promote the accountability of duty bearers. The programme is implemented by the Norwegian Refugee Council in collaboration with other international and local organisations.
- Support is channelled to hospitals in East Jerusalem through the EU’s PEGASE instrument. The aim is to maintain Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem, strengthen the effectiveness and accountability of Palestinian institutions, and promote equitable social development.
- The Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) promotes human rights to build a democratic, accountable and tolerant society. The ICHR is co-funded by Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and the UK.
- Finland supports Palestinian civil society with a focus on advancing human rights and empowering women and young people.
- Finland also supports Palestinian civil society by funding Finnish civil society organisations’ projects in Palestine.
- Since October 2023, Finland has increased its assistance in response to the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. A total of EUR 15.5 million in humanitarian assistance has been allocated in the period 2023–2025. In addition, Finland provides multiyear funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) under a funding agreement covering 2023–2026.
Highlights of the Results Report 2021–2024
The terrorist attack by Hamas in October 2023 set in motion a cycle of escalation that led to a full-scale war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Nearly 60 per cent of Palestinians, or 3.3 million people, needed humanitarian assistance. Of them, 2.2 million were living in the Gaza Strip, where over 46,000 people had died and over 100,000 had been wounded by the end of 2024.
The destruction caused by the war in Gaza and Israel’s increased movement restrictions in the West Bank, military operations and cancellation of work permits for Palestinian migrant workers who previously worked in Israel crippled Palestine’s economy. The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) public finances were in crisis due to the recession, but particularly because Israel was withholding tax and customs revenues that belong to the PA. The proportion of people living below the poverty line grew from 29 per cent to nearly 40 per cent in 2023–2024.
Promoting teaching was difficult, especially towards the end of the programme period. No formal teaching had been available for students in Gaza since October 2023. The war and violence also made the situation worse in the West Bank, where learning outcomes generally declined and the number of pupils requiring special support increased, among other things.
Despite the challenging conditions, the international community’s support for Palestine yielded results.
During the programme period, Finland and other donors helped to improve the standard of education, to secure schooling in conflict zones and to promote children’s access to early childhood education and care. New public pre-primary classes taught by qualified teachers were opened in the Palestinian territory. At the same time, vocational and technical education was made more readily available, particularly for girls. In the West Bank, the proportion of children in early childhood education and care rose from 73 to 91 per cent of the age cohort in 2020–2023.
Finland promoted state-building and a stronger civil society in the Palestinian territory through various means. Finland and other donors secured the operation of Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem, strengthened education administration and funded the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), which monitors that public institutions operate in accordance with the accountability principle.
Finland also strengthened the resilience of the most vulnerable communities through organisations such as the West Bank Protection Consortium (WBPC), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The WBPC protected and supported over 900 vulnerable communities in the West Bank. The UNDP’s TARABOT programme improved the health and education services and economic prospects of the nearly 18,000 most disadvantaged Palestinians.
Finland’s humanitarian assistance in Palestine
Finland provides humanitarian assistance to Palestine to save lives, alleviate human suffering and protect human dignity in times of crisis.
Finland has a multiyear agreement with UNRWA to provide humanitarian assistance. The current agreement is for 2023–2026 and amounts to EUR 5 million a year. UNRWA is a UN agency responsible for providing essential services – education, health care and social services – to Palestinian refugees in Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. The agency also maintains the infrastructure of refugee camps in the region. In addition to the support to UNRWA, Finland’s humanitarian assistance is also channelled through the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Finland’s partners in Palestine
The European Union is Finland’s most important reference group in Palestine. As an EU member, Finland participates in dialogue with the PA and various actors in society, focusing particularly on Palestine’s democratic development and human rights situation, as well as on EU support for the Middle East Peace Process. Finland also takes part in joint EU programmes, including twinning initiatives in Palestine, when possible.
Finland cooperates with UN agencies and the Palestinian Authority.
Several Finnish civil society organisations support the development of Palestinian society in collaboration with local civil society actors. At present, Finnish organisations’ support for Palestine is targeted especially at education and the empowerment of women and youth.
Team Finland cooperation
Trade between Finland and Palestine is limited. The Israeli occupation restricts freedom of movement and trade in Palestine. Finland promotes the participation of Finnish actors, including those from the private sector, in projects related to Palestine’s development and the reconstruction of Gaza.