BRUSSELS, April 11, 2007, (WAFA)- Minister of Finance, Salam Fayyad, said Wednesday that the new national unity government is in need of more than $1 billion in international aid this year to avert a "devastating" humanitarian crisis.

"We are looking for external support to bridge a gap of nearly 1 billion euros [$1.34 billion] for 2007," Fayyad told a joint news conference with the EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, in Brussels.

Ferrero-Waldner, promised technical assistance to enable his ministry to receive aid.

Fayyad told reporters yesterday, in Ramallah, that he would launch a tour in the EU countries as an attempt to end the economic crisis the Palestinian people and PNA have been facing a year ago.

S.A.S. (P 18:35) (GMT 15:35)