Dramatically increased support for Gaza – but emergency help is stopped.
The money flows in to aid organizations on site in Gaza. In just three weeks, the UN Children’s Fund Unicef Sweden has raised SEK 4 million – compared with half a million during the three weeks before.
– It is a substantial increase, says Petter Gustafsson, press secretary at UNICEF.
MSF also sees a greatly increased support – during the month of May 60 percent more one -time gifts came in compared to April. The support of the Red Cross has been quadruples in April and May compared to February and March and Save the Children says that May stands out when it comes to gathering to Gaza.
Despite the commitment growing Dramatically, it is still extremely difficult to get emergency assistance to the Palestinian population. A new aid system has been launched on the initiative of the United States and Israel, but the UN warns that Gaza Humanitarian Funds (GHF) efforts are only a drop in the sea of needs in Gaza. The system has also been criticized for use as a military tool by Israel and in practice facilitating forced displacement of the civilian population.
Save the Children currently see no need for more trucks that are waiting at the border with Gaza. However, the need for money is great in the longer term when the ruins in Gaza are to be rebuilt into a functioning society, says the organization’s international manager Cecilia Chatterjee-Martinsen.
– We will need support to build back children’s security. It is a population that will need help for a very long time.
All the organizations that DN has spoken to still have some activities left in Gaza where the money makes great use, but several emphasizes at the same time that the main priority is to open the boundaries properly so that the help can come in.
– We work hard to influence decision makers and get a ceasefire. Both so that no more than the 18,000 children who have already died die, but also to actually reach the people who need, says Cecilia Chatterjee-Martinsen.
Ulrika Modéer is the secretary general of the Red Cross and says that their highest priority is to « ensure that we immediately receive the support » which is ready only kilometers from the distressed population. At the same time, they have been able to redirect some of the help to other parts of the region, including Syria and the West Bank so that food should not be destroyed in stock.
– It is enormously frustrating and our highest priority is to enable the work for those who are in Gaza, says Ulrika Modeér.
UNICEF has the last few weeks Just managed to get a fraction of their emergency assistance to Gaza. It is mainly about energy -rich nut cream, but what has reached is according to press secretary Petter Gustafsson « crumbs of the emergency aid that needs to come in ».
The efforts are now controlled if: In addition to the operations that are still ongoing in Gaza, UNICEF is investing, among other things, to build warehouses in Jordan and Egypt – to quickly reach the Gazabs when more help is admitted.
– There are huge needs and lack of everything. Two million people have acute food shortages. Fuel, medicines, medical equipment, water purification, says Petter Gustafsson.
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