Urgent appeal for humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip and West Bank

UNRWA has launched a significant funding appeal to support millions in Gaza and the West Bank, amid escalating violence and attacks on its facilities, highlighting the region’s desperate need for humanitarian aid.

T here is a critical humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where the UN agency UNRWA has launched a $1.2 billion appeal to address the pressing needs of 1.7 million people in Gaza and over 200,000 Palestine refugees in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) provides essential humanitarian assistance and development services in health and education to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the ongoing violence and conflict in the region. As the largest humanitarian organization operating in Gaza, UNRWA plays a vital role in managing shelters, distributing food, providing healthcare, and coordinating aid deliveries. The situation there is dire, with the population in Gaza heavily reliant on aid for survival.

“The scars of war are seen on a massive scale in Gaza. Meanwhile, violence is increasing in the West Bank,” Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said. “It is critical to support UNRWA in providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance and development services in health and education. The past months proved that there is no replacement or alternative to UNRWA.”

Furthermore, UNRWA facilities in Gaza have been subjected to continued bombardment and attacks, resulting in casualties and further displacement of vulnerable populations.

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▪ This piece was first published in PUBLIC SQUARE UK on 24 April 2024.

▪ Cover: UN Photo/Loey Felipe. - Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), briefs the press on UNRWA and latest developments in Gaza. | 23 April 2024. (Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.)