The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced that the expansion of humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip is underway and has already made some progress. The office urged donor countries to increase their contributions.
According to the UN News Center, Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated from Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday: “An additional $11 million has been allocated to support the immediate scale-up of humanitarian aid in Gaza through the Central Emergency Response Fund.” However, he warned that continued delivery of essential assistance will not be possible unless the fund receives new contributions.
Under the humanitarian plan for the first sixty days of the ceasefire, the United Nations and its partners will deliver life-saving aid and services to Gaza’s residents, including food, water, healthcare, shelter supplies, hygiene kits, protection, and other forms of assistance.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations, stated during a daily press briefing that they had received Israeli approval to allow additional aid into Gaza. The approved supplies now total 190,000 metric tons as of Sunday, and they are ready for transport.
On Monday, an international summit on Middle East peace was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, attended by leaders and representatives from over 31 countries, as well as international and regional organizations. At the summit, leaders from the United States, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt signed a comprehensive document outlining the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Additionally, more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli detention centers.
