The Palestinian Authority could collapse unless there is urgent extra international aid to relieve the plight of the Palestinian people, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today.
"We share our concern about the economic, social and humanitarian situation of the Palestinians," Mr Annan said after talks with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen in Brussels.
"I appealed for additional support for them, because I am afraid that if the situation continues, we will see real despair and perhaps even partial collapse of the Palestinian Authority," Mr Annan told reporters.
He said United Nations and the EU were extremely concerned about the situation in the Middle East and a stalemate hindering progress on a peace "roadmap" drafted by a Quartet in which they are joined by the United States and Russia.
"We reviewed the roadmap and what the Quartet can do to re-energise the process," Mr Annan said. "We need to find a way to break the impasse... we need to find a way of bringing the parties to the table."
Israel insists the Palestinian Authority must crack down on militants responsible for suicide bombings before it will resume peace talks. Palestinians demand Israel halt settlement building and stop work on a barrier that cuts deep into the West Bank.