World Bank picks five groups to channel relief fund

London: The World Bank yesterday urged donor countries to channel funds for rebuilding the war-ravaged Gaza Strip through the Palestinian National Authority and five local organisations with "proven capacity" to undertake projects.

The report was e-mailed a day before the US and other donors are to meet in Sharm Al Shaikh, Egypt, to discuss the rebuilding effort.

The Washington-based institution said Israel needed to ease its blockade of Gaza for the effort to begin.

"Implementation will only be possible if the restrictions blocking the predictable entry of basic material into Gaza, including cement, steel, glass, equipment and spare parts, are lifted," a statement accompanying the report said.

The Gaza groups that the World Bank recommended as recipients of donor funds include the Palestinian Water Authority and Municipal Development and Lending Fund, which it said demonstrated "effective financial management."

The World Bank said donors could also send aid through projects in Gaza that it has been financing, and added that these could be "quickly scaled up" to meet Gaza's immediate needs. The World Bank backed the Palestinian National Authority's estimate that rebuilding will cost about $2.8 billion.