London: UK's Minister of State for Development, Anneliese Dodds, announced a £17-million ($21 million) aid package on Tuesday, emphasizing the urgent need for increased humanitarian assistance to enter Gaza. The support, coordinated with UN agencies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), aims to address the dire conditions faced by civilians in the region.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the Foreign Office stated that the new aid package is intended to provide healthcare, food, and shelter to tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza and support essential infrastructure across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). This initiative underscores the UK's ongoing commitment to alleviating the suffering of Palestinians and promoting stability and economic recovery in the Middle East.
The announcement follows reports that UK-Med, supported by UK funding, has successfully treated 300,000 individuals at field hospitals in Gaza. This aid contribution brings the UK's total support for the OPTs to £129 million ($160 million) for the current financial year.
In conjunction with this, a Jordanian-led helicopter initiative has begun delivering life-saving, UK-funded medicines directly to Gaza's civilians. The UK has provided up to £500,000 ($621,000) worth of supplies as part of this operation and has deployed military planners to assist with logistical efforts, as noted in the Foreign Office statement.