The United States has announced $404 million in additional humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and the region.
Secretary of State, Antony Blinken who made the announcement during a humanitarian conference in Jordan on Tuesday said this brings the total humanitarian aid that the United States announced for Palestinians since the beginning of the conflict is more than $674 million.
According to the statement released, this new funding includes $64 million through USAID to support partners on the ground to provide urgently required food assistance to Palestinians in need and critical logistics support to coordinate delivery of goods to and across Gaza.
In his remarks, the Secretary said, “United States has for decades been the largest single country provider of assistance for Palestinians. I’m announcing an additional $404 million in new aid to the more than $1.8 billion in development, economic, and aid that the US has provided since 2021.
Blinken urged nations to work together to ensure that more aid gets into Gaza, and reaches the people who need it the most, he said, “This has been our intense focus since the conflict started and Israel taken some important steps to open more crossings, to address obstacles to the delivery of assistance.
“As we’ve conveyed directly to the Israeli Government, it is crucial to speed up the inspection of trucks and reduce backlogs; to provide greater clarity on and shorten the list of prohibited goods; to increase visas for aid workers.
“And to process more quickly; create clearer, more effective channels for humanitarian groups to de-conflict with IDF operations; to surge lifesaving medicine and equipment; to provide everything necessary to repair water and sanitation systems”.
US Secretary said Israel must take further steps to reduce civilian casualties even as it confronts an enemy that started this war with the barbaric slaughter of civilians on October 7th, operations from schools, from hospitals, from camps of displaced families, an enemy that cynically hides behind or underneath the people it purports to represent.
The statement stated further that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, and this additional funding provided through USAID, includes support provided under the recently passed bipartisan National Security Supplemental.
Also, it will support UN partner the World Food Program (WFP) to surge crucial food assistance to people experiencing high levels of food insecurity and support treatment for malnutrition in children throughout Gaza and the West Bank.
While this announcement includes $340 million in funding via State Department to provide essential immediate and medium- term support to vulnerable Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank the region, through the provision of safe drinking water, health care, protection, education, shelter, and psychosocial support.
The statement revealed that the United States vowed to continues to work around the clock to overcome diplomatic and operational hurdles for humanitarian access and significantly scale up the amount of assistance reaching vulnerable populations in Gaza and the West Bank.
