Germany donates US$40 million to support UNRWA food aid programme in Gaza

On Wednesday, 26 July, Germany donated US$40 million to the UNRWA food aid services in the Gaza Strip, according to Oliver Okza, the Federal Republic of Germany representative in Ramallah.

In a press conference in Ramallah, Okza said, "Germany remains committed to helping Palestine refugees, and through our support for this year, we will help UNRWA provide food aid to a total of 1.2 million people in Gaza."

"It is important that other donors provide additional donations to UNRWA to continue this indispensable work," he added, calling on other countries to intervene to bridge the gap in the agency to continue providing its services to the Palestinian refugees.

Unknown future awaits Palestinian refugees as UNRWA may stop services next Septemberhttps://t.co/dl7lh30Xva

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) June 26, 2023

Despite the German funding, UNRWA still faces a US$75 million financial gap for 2023. If it is not funded, the agency will have to reduce its food aid in the Gaza Strip or cease it entirely in September, the UNRWA said in a press statement sent to The New Arab.

Thomas White, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, expressed his thanks for this donation, saying, "We thank Germany for its long-term commitment to support Palestine refugees. Reliable funding enables UNRWA to provide food aid to Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip."

"We highly appreciate Germany's generous support to the food aid program and efforts to draw attention to the critical funding gap that threatens to disrupt our food aid program with a major impact on the hunger and food security of Palestine refugees," he added.