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UK aid package will ensure healthcare, food and shelter reaches tens of thousands of civilians and supports vital infrastructure across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
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Minister for Development, Anneliese Dodds announces £17 million package and reiterates need for much more aid to enter Gaza with the support of UN agencies including UNRWA.
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Comes as 300,000 people now confirmed treated by UK-Med at field hospitals in Gaza thanks to UK funding.
Thousands of civilians in Gaza will receive humanitarian aid funded by the UK.
Food assistance programmes, water and sanitation services and maternal and children’s healthcare are some of the areas which will be scaled up with new funding.
This will build on UK efforts over the past 15 months which have ensured more than half a million people have received essential healthcare in Gaza.
Within this £17 million package announced today, £2 million in funding for the World Bank will support critical water and energy infrastructure construction and restoration across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), including in Gaza. The UK’s ongoing support has meant 284,000 people in Gaza already have improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.
This announcement brings the total UK support for the OPTs this financial year to £129 million, demonstrating the UK’s commitment to playing a leading role in alleviating Palestinian suffering and helping to build security and economic recovery in the Middle East. This will help drive UK security, in support of the Government’s Plan for Change.
It comes as a Jordanian-led helicopter initiative flying aid directly to Gaza has started delivering lifesaving UK-funded medicines to civilians today. As well as providing up to £500,000 of supplies onboard, the UK has also deployed military planners to assist with logistics. Speaking in the House this afternoon, Minister Dodds will underscore the UK’s pride in working with Jordan – who have demonstrated leadership and commitment to deliver aid via all routes possible – to get the airbridge up and running in such challenging circumstances.
Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds said
The scale of suffering in Gaza cannot be overstated and the UN and its agencies, including UNRWA, must be allowed by Israel to do their vital work.
This announcement is part of the UK’s investment in the ceasefire deal, scaling up aid operations and helping the most desperate people access healthcare, water, food and shelter.
We must seize this opportunity to get a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, all the hostages released and a path towards a viable Palestinian state.
Minister Dodds emphasised the UK will also continue to support the crucial role played by UN agencies and NGOs operating in Gaza. This includes UNRWA, which has played a vital role in the increase in humanitarian assistance since the ceasefire earlier this month.
Ahead of the upcoming implementation of Israel’s UNRWA legislation on 30 January, which risks jeopardising the humanitarian response in Gaza and the delivery of essential services in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the UK has urged Israel to ensure that UNRWA can continue its lifesaving operations for Palestinian refugees. Israel has a responsibility under international law to facilitate humanitarian assistance. Minister Dodds will again reiterate that humanitarian operations must not face a cliff edge on 30 January.
The Minister for Development also confirmed that the UK provided an additional £4.5 million to UK-Med last year. The charity deploys staff, many of whom work in the NHS, to crisis-hit areas around the world to deliver life and limb-saving healthcare. NHS staff who work for UK-Med typically deploy to Gaza for a four-week period, supporting lifesaving efforts and gaining essential trauma experience.
UK funding has helped doctors in Gaza treat more than 300,000 patients in Gaza with a range of medical conditions as well as treating injuries directly associated with the conflict. This funding is on top of the £5.5 million announced for the charity on the Foreign Secretary’s first visit to Israel and the OPTs in July last year.
UK-Med CEO, David Wightwick said
After more than two decades in humanitarian work, I have never seen a crisis of this scale and severity.
That’s why UK Government funding is vital in providing support to UK-Med to deliver life-saving care to over 300,000 patients in Gaza during 2024.
I want to thank our 400-strong team on the ground for their determination, professionalism and tireless work to address the health impacts of this devastating conflict.
This government’s steadfast support for UNRWA, including £41m of support this financial year, has helped the organisation deliver its humanitarian operation and provide essential services such as education, social care and vaccinations across the OPTs and to Palestinian refugees in the region.
Notes to editors
- The £17 million package announced today consists of
- £15 million of UK funding comes from the Crisis Reserve pool to be allocated to partner agencies.
- £2 million of funding for the World Bank to deliver water and energy infrastructure across the OPTs, including in Gaza
- An additional £4.5 million of funding to UK-Med has previously been allocated and spent but not announced
- UK-Med operate two field hospitals in Gaza, Deir Al Balah and Al Mawasi. The Al Mawasi field hospital has, among other facilities, an operating theatre, a maternity unit and physical rehabilitation services for patients. At Deir Al Balah, UK-Med staff deliver primary care and see over 400 patients a day.
*This air bridge to Gaza is no substitute for the road routes. The terms of the ceasefire must be adhered to, so that many more trucks can safely and effectively distribute aid within Gaza. - Footage – b-roll of UK aid to Gaza via Jordanian helicopters and UK-Med field hospital
