Netherlands pledges additional €10 million for humanitarian aid to Gaza
The Netherlands is providing an additional €10 million in humanitarian assistance for Gaza, development minister Liesje Schreinemacher announced on Tuesday. The funds are intended for food, water and medical care for Gaza’s inhabitants. With this commitment, the Netherlands is responding to the UN’s urgent appeal for more international assistance. The Dutch contribution is earmarked for UN organisations, a group of international and national NGOs, and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Liesje Schreinemacher: ‘It’s vital that this humanitarian aid reaches Gaza quickly. Almost 1.3 million people urgently need water, medicine and food.’
The Dutch government is concerned about the growing crises in the Gaza Strip. It has emphasised that international humanitarian law must be respected. Humanitarian aid workers and other civilians must never be targets of violence. And access for aid workers and relief supplies must be unimpeded. The government consistently stresses this message in its contacts with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and other partners in the region.
The UN needs $294 million to meet the urgent needs of the population in Gaza and the region. The new Dutch contribution is in addition to the €51 million that the Netherlands already budgeted this year for development cooperation and humanitarian aid for the Palestinians.