UNRWA seeks $1.2 billion to meet urgent needs in Gaza and the West Bank
The UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, launched a $1.2 billion appeal on Wednesday to address the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip and to respond to needs in the West Bank as violence there increases.
The funding will cover humanitarian response through the end of the year, with the goal of meeting the most urgent needs of 1.7 million people in war-ravaged Gaza and more than 200,000 Palestine refugees in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Lifeline for millions
“The scars of war are seen on a massive scale in Gaza. Meanwhile violence is increasing in the West Bank,” Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said.
“It is critical to support UNRWA in providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance and development services in health and education. The past months proved that there is no replacement or alternative to UNRWA.”
As the largest humanitarian organisation on the ground in Gaza, UNRWA is the backbone of the aid operation in the enclave, managing shelters hosting more than one million people, distributing food, providing primary healthcare and coordinating logistics for aid deliveries.
Two hundred days into the war, the priority now is to bring in much needed supplies, including food, into Gaza, where the population has become almost entirely dependent on handouts and relief assistance.
Bombardment continues
Meanwhile, UNRWA has condemned continuing “bombardment and attacks” of its facilities in Gaza.
Posting on the social media platform X, UNRWA said that a school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat camp was targeted three times on 11 and 13 April, killing seven people and causing injuries and further displacement.
In another social media post, the agency reported that it had conducted a mission with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to northern Gaza on Tuesday to provide lifesaving medical and water-purification aid to people in Jabalia.