The EU is to increase its humanitarian aid to Gaza by €25 million, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced to the EU’s ambassadors around the world on Monday 6 November.
“We have a responsibility to do everything in our power to protect civilians who may be in danger. Today, I can announce that we are further increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza by another €25 million. By doing so, the European Union would spend a total of €100 million in humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza”, said Ms von der Leyen. She added: “At the same time, we are working with Israel, Egypt and the United Nations to let more convoys into Gaza, including through corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs”.
This humanitarian funding, intended for partner humanitarian organisations, focuses on water, sanitation, health and food.
Since 16 October, the EU’s humanitarian airlift has brought some 263 million tonnes of urgently needed equipment to Gaza from Egypt.
On Thursday 9 November, Ms von der Leyen is due to take part in the international humanitarian conference organised in Paris by Emmanuel Macron, according to Balazs Ujvari, spokesman for Crisis Management.
According to the World Food Programme, humanitarian aid is reaching Gazans in dribs and drabs, “but it is nowhere near enough” to deal with the scale of this humanitarian tragedy. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)