Following the announcement of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel (see other news), the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, expressed, on Thursday 16 January, her hope of seeing the necessary aid delivered unhindered to the Gaza Strip, where the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic after 15 months of war.
“The conditions are dramatic, people are in desperate need and I was afraid that we will start to become indifferent”, she said, addressing a small group of journalists, including Agence Europe.
Ms Lahbib stressed her “hope” that Israel would reconsider its position on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which has been formally banned from operating in the territory of the Jewish State since October (see EUROPE 13514/3). The UN agency’s network plays a central role in the distribution of emergency assistance.
By Thursday lunchtime, the Commissioner had received no guarantee from the Israeli authorities that EU aid would be delivered quickly and unhindered to Palestinian civilians. However, the ceasefire agreement provides for the daily entry of 600 lorries via Egypt.
“We are waiting for that. As ‘DG ECHO’ [Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, editor’s note], we are the ones on the ground. We need action, not words. This ceasefire will be judged based on its implementation on the ground”, stated Ms Lahbib.
Despite the uncertainty, on Thursday, the European Commission announced a new €120 million aid package for Gaza, including several tonnes of equipment to be distributed with its humanitarian partners, including UN agencies.
This announcement came shortly after a meeting on Thursday morning between Commissioner Lahbib and the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Mustafa, during which they discussed the “day after”.
“The EU is ready to help the Palestinian Authority”, said Ms Lahbib. And she added: “We must move forward with the two-state solution”.
Ukraine. During her official visit to Ukraine last Monday, Ms Lahbib announced new humanitarian aid worth €148 million (see EUROPE 13556/3). The mission also enabled the Commissioner to visit a number of strategic civil protection infrastructures, including highly-equipped emergency shelters and a mobile first aid training centre.
“We’re going to learn a lot from the Ukrainians: their ability to manage and anticipate risks is impressive”, said the former Belgian minister on Thursday, who is planning to set up an exchange programme for young people across the EU to share practices and know-how in crisis management.
Initial annual funding. In total, the European Commission will allocate €1.9 billion to funding humanitarian aid in 2025. No less than €375 million will be dedicated to the Middle East. Africa should benefit from €510 million to support vulnerable people. This does not include North Africa, which will have its own envelope of €95 million, to be shared with Yemen. Ukraine is set to receive €140 million in humanitarian aid next year. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)