The two-year €533,000 (£445,000/$685,000) funding will contribute to a number of causes including helping sports clubs across Palestine re-open following their closure during the Second Intifada and later during the Israeli war on Gaza in 2008-2009.

Programmes will follow the research of the Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group which state that sports improve the inclusion and well-being of the disabled by "changing what communities think and feel about disabilities and by changing what people with disabilities think and feel about themselves."

An EU statement said: "Sport clubs face funding difficulties compounded by the lack of fundraising and community mobilisation skills (while new programmes will help with) leadership training and regular sport practices for youth with disabilities."

Palestine made its debut in the Paralympics at Sydney in 2000 and have competed in every Games since.

They have won three medals, including shot putter Husam Azzam, who claimed a bronze at Sydney and silver in Athens four years later.

Building on PPC technical expertise, the programme will provide training and small grants to sport clubs to improve and expand their sport programmes for youth with disabilities and strengthen their organisational management.

The programme will work with disabled people’s organisations, rehabilitation hospitals, government representatives and sport clubs to develop local action plans focusing on sport programmes, advocacy and community outreach.

Ahead of the launch, Mercy Corps Mission Director Andrew Dwonch had described the services and benefits provided by the programme while PPC Chair Akram Okkeh stressed the importance of strengthening the local and national Paralympic Movement and preparation of young athletes ahead of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

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