The Netherlands increases its contribution to humanitarian aid in Gaza
The Netherlands is making an additional 15 million euros available for humanitarian aid to the inhabitants of Gaza. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher announced this extra contribution on Friday. The money is intended for food, water and medical care for the civilian population, and will go to the Red Cross, the World Food Programme and a number of Dutch aid organisations. ‘The need for relief is acute. Medicine, water and food are required. This money is intended to meet this need.’
It is proving to be an enormous challenge in practice to get aid through. ‘We must bring in more and a lot faster. The government is pressing this point in all its international contacts. There has to be a humanitarian pause so that aid can enter Gaza,’ said the minister.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating by the day. This is why the government has already pledged 10 million euros for the affected area. Almost 1.3 million people are in urgent need of water, medicine and food.
The United Nations estimates that 294 million dollars is needed to respond to the pressing needs of the people of Gaza and the region. The two Dutch contributions are in addition to the 51 million euros that the Netherlands has allocated this year to development cooperation and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.