The United Nations Relief and Works Agency is providing support to 89 bakeries in Gaza to provide bread to 1.7 million people, as the average Palestinian is living on two pieces of bread. Israel's military recently carried out a deadly strike in Gaza City, resulting in at least 15 deaths and dozens of injuries. The UNRWA's efforts come at a time of increased violence and destruction in the region.
Posts tagged as “the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugee”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel to press for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into besieged Gaza. Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, has attacked Israeli military positions in northern Israel, raising fears of a regional conflict. Blinken is providing $130 million in additional aid to the Palestinians, including $40 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and $15 million in aid to the Gaza Strip.
The UNRWA has reported that thousands of people have broken into aid warehouses in the Gaza Strip due to the growing desperation caused by the war between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a “second stage” in the war, while the UNRWA has expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow for the delivery of aid. The agency has also urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
An aid convoy has been allowed to enter the Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah, providing desperately needed aid to the besieged Palestinian territory for the first time since Israel sealed it off two weeks ago. The situation in Gaza is dire, with UNRWA reporting that the region is running out of water and life, and the attack having a devastating impact on the health of the population. The UNRWA is calling for an immediate ceasefire and for the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to the region.