UK pledges £19m in additional aid for Gaza amid humanitarian crisis

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UK sends aid to Egypt during an ongoing operation

Pictured: 99 Squadron Movers load a Royal Air Force C-17 aircraft with UK aid heading to Egypt on the 25th of October 2023 from Brize Norton. A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster was sent Egypt on 25 October 2023 to deliver UK Aid. The aircraft, operated by No. 99 Squadron flew from RAF Brize Norton carrying humanitarian aid such as medical supplies to the region in support of ongoing operations.

Britain has announced an additional £19 million ($24 million) in humanitarian aid for Gaza, aiming to address urgent needs as winter approaches.

The UK’s international development minister, Anneliese Dodds, made the announcement Monday, emphasizing the dire situation in the war-torn territory.

“Gazans are in desperate need of food and shelter with the onset of winter,” Dodds stated, highlighting the urgency of international collaboration during her visit to the region.

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She is attending a key conference in Cairo focused on addressing Gaza’s aid needs and advocating for unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance.

“The Cairo conference will be an opportunity to get leading voices in one room and put forward real-world solutions to the humanitarian crisis,” she added. “Israel must immediately act to ensure unimpeded aid access to Gaza.”

The newly announced funds will be allocated as follows: £12 million for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) and £7 million for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Aid organizations, however, continue to criticize Israel for restricting the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The UNRWA recently suspended its operations via the Kerem Shalom crossing due to safety concerns.

The UK government has pledged £99 million in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories for this year, reinforcing its commitment to alleviating the crisis.

Minister Dodds is set to visit both the Palestinian territories and Israel after her Cairo stop, advocating for solutions to the ongoing humanitarian challenges exacerbated by the conflict.

Israeli retaliatory offensives have killed at least 44,429 in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

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