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Press Release

18 January 2009

UK pledges £20m to help rebuild Gaza

The UK is giving a further £20 million to help rebuild Gaza and to provide humanitarian assistance, International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander announced today.

The conflict has had a devastating impact on innocent civilians, women and children. The UN reports that well over 1100 Palestinians have been killed and over 5000 wounded. The UN estimates that around 100,000 Gazans have been displaced and hundreds of thousands lack power and clean drinking water.

The additional money announced today will help rebuild the lives of thousands of Gazans who have been injured and whose homes have been destroyed in the conflict. This brings the total UK response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to nearly £27 million since the conflict started.

Douglas Alexander said:

"These are anxious hours as we wait to see if this ceasefire will hold. An enduring ceasefire is crucial to allow us to get vital aid in to thousands of people who desperately need it. That is why we are making available a further £20 million package to provide food, water and shelter for ordinary Palestinians.

"It is crucial that fuel is distributed to power stations so that hospitals can function again, peoples homes can be heated and lit, and access to safe water re-established.

"The humanitarian situation will be dire for some time to come. UN and non-governmental aid agencies are doing heroic work under extremely difficult conditions and we want to support their efforts further. This additional funding will help the United Nations, aid agencies and other humanitarian organisations working in Gaza to rebuild the lives of 1.4 million people who have suffered in the conflict."

The announcement comes as Mike Foster became the first UK Government minister to visit Jerusalem since the conflict began. The Minister will be meeting UNRWA staff and other relief agencies working on the ground to deal with the humanitarian situation. The additional £20 million contribution will be used to allocate funds to emerging humanitarian priorities, making them available to UN agencies and non-governmental organisations working in Gaza.

Background

1. The £20m in humanitarian assistance to Gaza is in addition to the £6.8 million announced on 31 December, of which £4 million has been given to the UN Refugee and Works Agency’s Flash Appeal and £1 million for the UN’s Humanitarian Emergency Response Fund. This is all in support of DFID’s humanitarian strategy to address humanitarian needs in Gaza. This brings the total UK response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to nearly £27 million this year which is in addition to the UK’s pledge to provide up to £243 million in aid to the Palestinian people made in Paris in 2007.

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