How the UK is meeting humanitarian needs in Gaza
5 March 2009
Video from Douglas Alexander's recent visit to Gaza
Watch our short video clip of the Secretary of State addressing the media in Gaza. For more information on the visit, please see previous entries below, or read the full press release
3 March 2009
Diary of Douglas Alexander's visit to Gaza by the Chief Political Correspondent of The Herald
"We get into armoured Mercedes jeeps, doors as heavy as stoveplates and windows that do not wind down. Our British Embassy driver has only been here one week and, like a character out of Evelyn Waugh’s “Scoop”, he cheerily admits he doesn’t have a clue yet. Pretty soon we see the grim, concrete security wall that marks the border."
Torcuil Crichton, Chief Political Correspondent of The Herald travelled to Gaza with Secretary of State, Douglas Alexander. Read his personal account of the trip.
1 March 2009
Douglas Alexander pledges £30m to aid recovery during visit to Gaza
The Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander MP,
has pledged £30m to help rebuild damaged and destroyed homes, schools, and
hospitals in Gaza, during a visit to the region today.
The money will support the first phase of rebuilding Gaza which is still devastated from the recent fighting. It will include the repair of essential infrastructure including water, sewage and electricity supplies. Six weeks after the conflict ended, many people are still living in temporary housing and over 90% of the population require food aid. The pledge includes a new £20m provision and an allocation of £10m from UK support announced in January.
Speaking during his visit, the Secretary of State said:
“I’ve seen first hand today the effect that the recent conflict has had on ordinary people. That is why we are making available £30m to help kick-start a recovery. We want people to be able to go about their day-to-day lives, for schools to be open and for families to have a home once again. The continuing suffering in the area is very clear and we must provide more than just basic humanitarian support if we are to help rebuild people’s lives.”
Whilst in Gaza, Mr Alexander visited a workshop and warehouses in the UNRWA HQ that had been badly damaged in the conflict. In addition, he visited industrial areas and saw the impact of the heavy shelling there, and discussed the obvious consequences of this for Gaza’s economy.
Read the full press release |
View more photos on Flickr
26 February 2009
Distributing food to conflict-affected people in Gaza
Mike Foster, Minister for International Development yesterday at a Westminster Hall debate announced DFID funding of £1.5m to the World Food Programme’s Emergency Operation to meet the urgent basic food needs of 365,000 conflict-affected people in Gaza. This is part of DFID’s £26.8m commitment to support NGOs and international agencies working on the ground.
Since 27 December World Food Programme (WFP) has succeeded in distributing two-month rations to more than 223,000 people in Gaza. During the height of the conflict, WFP was also able to reach 154,000 people through one-off emergency distributions of bread and other ready-to-eat foods at shelters and on the streets. In addition, following the re-opening of schools, WFP has been providing meals to 40,000 children in up to 68 schools since the end of January.
Mike Foster also announced a £340,000 contribution to help the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) coordinate the provision of emergency water and sanitation.
16 February 2009
Interview with Steffan Schwarz from Mercy Corps
Thanks to £915,000 funding from DFID, Mercy Corps is scaling up its response in Gaza. Over the next nine months Mercy Corps' projects in Gaza will improve living conditions and provide emotional help for children, youth and adults to cope with the crisis.
Listen to our interview with Steffan Schwarz who explains the challenges facing the people of Gaza and in particular how his organisation is supporting children who have been exposed to the violence of the conflict and how they are helping families to repair their homes.
Listen to audio
Listen to audio clip (8 mins 27 secs). Download in mp3 format
13 February 2009
Crossing borders: goods transported from Israel to GazaOnly goods which are approved the Government of Israel are allowed to pass into Gaza. This means the drivers of the trucks carrying aid can expect to wait several hours at the border crossing. Find out how humanitarian supplies are getting into Gaza in our report from the border crossing of Kerem Shalom Terminal. |
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12 February 2009
Rehabilitating the injured in Gaza
Two new centres are opening in Gaza next week to provide vital rehabilitation care to people who have been injured during the recent bombardment.
Handicap International, partly funded by a £422,000 grant from DFID, is opening the new centres where people with injuries and disabilities can go for treatment.
It is estimated that during the recent crisis in Gaza, more than 5,300 people (Palestinian Health Ministry) have been wounded; of those wounded, between 40 and 70 per cent have severe traumatic injuries.
10 February 2009
Delivering the essentials to families in needFresh water is in short supply in Gaza where many drinking water wells have been destroyed. Find out how, with DFID funding, Oxfam are delivering water to up to 60,000 people each day. With the majority of families in Gaza relying on food aid in order to survive, Oxfam is also helping to deliver food parcels which can support a family of seven for two weeks. |
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10 February 2009
Islamic Relief aid worker Hatem Shurrab speaks about life in Gaza.
"My mother holds me tight as if it is the last time she will ever see me"
These are the words of an aid worker working in Gaza for the NGO Islamic Relief , for which DFID recently announced £661,000 funding for humanitarian aid.
Read Hatem's account of daily life in Gaza and how Islamic Relief is providing badly needed help and supplies, including equipment for hospitals.
9 February 2009
The challenge of clearing explosives from GazaDFID has already provided £200,000 to the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) to assess and clear the danger of unexploded bombs and other explosives in Gaza. Mark Buswell, MAG's technical director, has been working inside Gaza for two weeks helping to clear explosives and make life safe again for the people of Gaza. He talks about just some of the problems he faces - including how to safely deal with white phosphorous sitting next to a large pile of high explosives. |
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9 February 2009
DFID announces new support for vulnerable groups in Gaza
The UK is providing a further £1.8 million for life-saving support to vulnerable groups including children and old people living in Gaza, International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander announced today. The money is part of DFID's £27m humanitarian support package and will help four aid agencies assist in meeting the urgent needs of the men, women and children who have been injured, made homeless or otherwise affected by the recent fighting.
The four agencies being funded are Islamic Relief, Welfare Association, Action Against Hunger and Handicap International.
6 February 2009
Getting aid into Gaza - a vital link in the chainDFID funding is helping to get badly needed humanitarian aid into Gaza - to the people who are most in need of help. Find out about the crucial role of logistics in distributing essential supplies and watch a video interview with Baptiste Burgaud from the Global Logistics Cluster. The Logistics Cluster is a group of humanitarian agencies, led by the World Food Programme, who are coordinating the delivery of humanitarian supplies. |
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4 February 2009
Video report and blog from DFID staff in Gaza
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Neil Briscoe, Head of DFID's Jerusalem office, reports from Gaza.
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Niki Palmer, DFID Conflict Adviser, accompanied Neil into Gaza and
experienced the desperation, the hope - and even the smiles - of people
living there. 
30 January 2009
Making Gaza safer - clearing unexploded ordnance
Thanks to £200,000 of funding from DFID, the Mines
Advisory Group have been able get their specialist staff quickly on the ground in Gaza to deal with the large number of unexploded ordnance.
The Mines Advisory Group have already made safe 150 schools within Gaza as well as responding to calls from other aid agencies when unexploded ordnance or other hazardous materials are found. This clearance work is essential to making the area safe for humanitarian relief agencies to operate within - and is helping to get life back to normal as quickly as possible for the residents of Gaza.
Listen to audio
Listen to audio clip (4 mins). Download in mp3 format
Listen to our interview with Steve Priestley of the Mines Advisory Group as he explains the scale of the challenge in Gaza and the progress that has already been made by his team.
29 January 2009
Douglas Alexander welcomes UN appeal for Gaza
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander responded to the
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's announcement at Davos today of a UN appeal for $613 million for humanitarian aid
in Gaza.
Douglas Alexander said:
"I welcome this appeal which will support those hardest hit by the violence and alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.
"The UK has already pledged £12.2m to the UN, Red Cross and NGO partners for emergency relief. This will help to provide clean drinking water, sanitation, food and shelter for thousands of people living in Gaza and we stand ready to provide further support.
"We also urge Israel to immediately give full, unhindered humanitarian access to allow aid agencies to get on with the job of helping people on the ground."
28 January 2009
DFID pledges £1.5m to help charities provide essential water and shelter in Gaza
DFID has allocated around £1.5m to help charities
Oxfam and
Mercy Corps to
provide clean drinking water, sanitation and emergency shelter for the people of
Gaza, Secretary of State Douglas Alexander announced today.
This money is part of DFID’s commitment to support NGOs working on the ground. In addition to the £600,000 funding announced yesterday for Oxfam to provide immediate water and sanitation, Mercy Corps will receive £915,000 to provide shelter and emotional support to children and young people traumatised by the conflict.
Through this funding, Oxfam will reach at least 50,000 people and will specifically target 2,100 families with health and hygiene-related relief items. These include family emergency hygiene kits, baby hygiene kits and cleaning kits.
Since the start of the conflict, Mercy Corps have reported an increase in
fear and anxiety amongst children in Gaza. The funding announced today will help
them work with the local community to provide psychological support to the
people affected by the conflict.
During the conflict the UN estimated that around 100,000 people were displaced and 20,000 homes partially destroyed. Mercy Corps will also provide safe accommodation and counselling for over 4,000 children in the region.
27 January 2009
Oxfam given funding to help provide safe drinking water and improved sanitation
DFID has today made available £600,000 to help provide safe drinking water and improved sanitation for the most vulnerable communities of Gaza, which have been hit hardest by the incursions. Through this funding, Oxfam will reach at least 50,000 people and will specifically target 2,100 families with health and hygiene-related relief items. These include family emergency hygiene kits, baby hygiene kits and cleaning kits. Drinking water will be delivered by truck to the most vulnerable areas including North Gaza, Zeitoun-East Gaza and Khan Younis. Water storage and distribution systems will also be set up.
Mike Foster, Minister for International Development, announced DFID’s support this morning at a Westminster Hall debate:
“This morning, I can announce £600,000 will be given to Oxfam to provide water and sanitation in Gaza. That should help to deliver clean water for up to 50,000 people who are most in need, and sanitation kits to more than 2,000 people.”
26 January 2009
UK sends specialist vehicles to Gaza to assess humanitarian needs
Vehicles from the UK are being dispatched today to help the UN advise what
help is most needed in Gaza.
The three Toyota Land Cruiser 105s are a donation-in-kind to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and will allow expert teams to assess the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza as quickly as possible.
"The situation in Gaza remains extremely grave and there is now a desperate need for food, water and shelter," said International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander. "DFID is sending these vehicles to help UN staff to see what's happening on the ground - an important first step in ensuring that when aid is provided it goes to where it is most needed." Read the full press release
Mines Advisory Group receives funds for immediate clearance of unexploded ordnance
DFID is providing £200,000 funding to the Mines
Advisory Group (MAG) for urgent clearance work. The funds will help to
ensure children can return safely to school and health facilities are able to
function as soon as possible without the fear of detonating unexploded ordnance.
As a result of the funding, MAG has today deployed two technical unexploded ordnance (UXO) specialists in Gaza, working with the UN and other agencies, to establish the extent of UXO contamination. They have visited health centres and schools, as well as other essential infrastructure, to determine the extent of contamination and identify priorities for clearance. The clearance work will also be essential to making the area safe for humanitarian relief agencies to operate within.
23 January 2009
Video report from Jerusalem visit by Mike Foster, Minister for International Development
Minister for International Development, Mike Foster MP, visited a World Food Programme aid distribution centre in Jerusalem earlier this week. He witnessed the scale of the operation that is
beginning to deliver essential humanitarian aid to people in Gaza. |
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22nd January 2009
Douglas Alexander and leading UK NGOs discuss critical issues for Gaza
As part of DFID efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza as quickly as possible, the Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander, and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Mike Foster met with 15 of the UK’s leading NGOS with capacity on-the-ground in Gaza.
- Discussion focussed on the urgency attached to gaining humanitarian access, both for supplies and aid agency staff.
- NGOs highlighted some of the immediate needs, including identification of unexploded munitions and explosives, and getting life saving relief items into Gaza.
- The Secretary of State emphasised the importance the Government attaches to securing immediate and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza in order to ensure that aid reaching its borders can get to the people that so desperately need it.
Disasters Emergency Committee launches appeal to relieve humanitarian crisis in Gaza
The Disasters Emergency Committee have launched an appeal.
Find out how you can help.
21 January 2009
The UK government is taking swift action to help meet humanitarian needs in Gaza.
The ceasefire is a welcome first step. DFID’s priority now is to help secure access and address the immediate needs of Gazans affected by the recent hostilities.
On 18 January, the Secretary of State for International Development committed a further £20 million to help meet immediate needs in Gaza. This has brought the total DFID response to the crisis to nearly £27 million since December 2008.
So far we have allocated £10 million. This includes:
- £4 million to the International Committee for the Red Cross to carry out immediate work to save lives, such as providing medical treatment to the injured
- £4 million for the UN Relief and Works Agency Gaza Flash Appeal. The appeal will help feed 550,000 people, provide shelter for those who have been displaced, provide cash assistance for up to 2,500 families and provide fuel to maintain essential public services.
- £1 million for the UN’s Humanitarian Emergency Response Fund. This will enable the UN's local Humanitarian Coordinator to quickly allocate funds to emerging priorities, making them available to NGOs and other organisations with staff on the ground, to meet immediate humanitarian needs.
- £1 million to the World Food Programme
We are in the process of making further allocations to make sure that aid reaches the people of Gaza quickly and in response to their most urgent needs. Further information is available at: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/gaza-humanitarian-fund.asp
For more information on DFID's other ongoing work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, please visit: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/asia/opt.asp
19 January 2009
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza
As of 19 January, 1,314 Palestinians had died and 5,300 Palestinians had been injured, and 13 Israelis - nine soldiers and four civilians - had died and 84 Israelis had been injured in the conflict. However, reliable figures are hard to obtain, and the extent of the damage in Gaza will only become clear when security permits a proper assessment. The UK has been at the centre of efforts to halt the violence and secure urgent humanitarian assistance... [post continues: read more]
Related links
- Summary of how DFID aid to Gaza is being spent
- DFID announces new support for vulnerable groups in Gaza - 9 February
- UK Gaza Humanitarian Response Fund - 18 January 2009
- UK pledges £20 million to help rebuild Gaza - Press release, 18 January 2009
- UK contributes £1 million to Gaza emergency fund - Press release, 13 January 2009
- DFID pledges £4 million to help food and water shortages in Gaza - Press release, 6 January 2009
- Douglas Alexander announces up to $10 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza - 31 December 2008
- Statement on the humanitarian situation in Gaza from Douglas Alexander - 28 December 2008
- Occupied Palestinian Territories country profile
- Fighting poverty: Conflict and security
Contact
If you're a journalist and have a media enquiry, please contact the DFID Press Office on 020 7023 0600 or by email pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk. A press officer is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
