UN to release 1.2 billion in aid for Palestine
The UN is expected to request today, likely in the form of a published report, $1.2 billion in emergency aid for 2.7 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
According to a report released by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank face a critical shortage of fuel and face ongoing threats from frequent air strikes.
Since October 7, significant damage has been inflicted upon critical infrastructures like hospitals, refugee camps, and water supply lines. 14 out of 35 hospitals in Gaza are not functioning. In addition, both Gaza’s sole power plant and main telecommunication lines have been shut down, leaving civilians unable to receive information on where to access humanitarian aid.
The US and other pro-Israel member states are not expected to oppose the inflows of humanitarian aid into Gaza, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently stated that “the flow of food, water…and other essential humanitarian aid into Gaza must increase immediately and significantly”. However, the $1.2bln aid goal is unlikely to be met in the near term as only 25% of the original funding goal of $294 million has been reached.
