Britain announces new aid to Gaza?

The United Kingdom International Development Minister Alan Duncan announced a £1.25 million of new support of UK medical aid and shelter for 85,000 Palestinians affected by Gaza conflict, Wednesday said a press release by the minister. The UK funding will provide medical aid, temporary shelter and help with rebuilding damaged homes for around 85,000 people affected by the recent violence in Gaza, said the release. It said that the UK aid, which will be channeled through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and among other vital activities, helps the ICRC to provide medical support to eight hospitals serving 1.6 million people, deliver eight trucks of medicines to treat 2,000 wounded and other emergency cases, provide shelter kits including blankets, tarpaulins and hygiene kits for up to 3,000 people and tents, jerry cans and cooking stoves for those made homeless. The aid will also help ICRC to provide distribute material for repairs to nearly 5,000 damaged houses, facilitate the delivery of hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel to Gaza’s power station to ensure continuing electricity and to Shawa Hospital in the north of Gaza, and make emergency repairs to the Gaza water authority’s bomb-damaged infrastructure. Duncan said, “Ordinary people in Gaza and in Israel have had their lives turned upside down by the recent conflict. We were deeply saddened by the lives lost on both sides. While the violence continued, existing UK funding helped trusted partners such as UNRWA and the World Food Program provide health and educations services and distribute food in the face of incredibly challenging conditions.’ “This new funding will help meet the most immediate needs of those injured, made homeless or otherwise affected by the conflict,” he said. He added “we welcome the ongoing talks in Cairo and urge all parties to take this important opportunity to resolve the fundamental problems of Gaza which means tackling weapons smuggling and the illicit tunnel economy into Gaza.” “It also means lifting the Israeli restrictions on movement of goods and people which, as I have seen again on this visit, make the economic and humanitarian situation in Gaza unsustainable.” he concluded.