EU steps up humanitarian assistance for Palestinians

In light of the continued deterioration of the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the steady rise of needs on the ground, the Commission is stepping up its funding to support Palestinians affected by the ongoing war.

The EU has now allocated an additional €68 million in the form of humanitarian aid to be channelled through partner organisations already assisting Palestinians in Gaza and across the region. This support aims to scale up the desperately needed food assistance, nutritional, health, water and sanitation and shelter support, amongst others.

This support brings total EU humanitarian assistance to €193 million for Palestinians in need inside Gaza and across the region in 2024.

Furthermore, the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge operation in aid of people in Gaza continues to transport vital supplies provided by humanitarian partners and EU Member States. The latest flight will deliver emergency supplies today and 2 additional flights are scheduled for the first week of May.

The EU has funded 2 convoys transporting over 130 tonnes of shelter, health, water and sanitation supplies donated by Ireland and humanitarian partners. These items, deployed from Dubai, are being transported to Gaza in coordination with the Global Logistics Cluster via Jordan. The Commission is constantly monitoring the situation and stands ready to provide further assistance as required.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: "We are witnessing a true humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. The critical condition of Palestinians in extreme peril is getting disastrous beyond words. The dramatic death toll and injuries among civilians, of which mostly women and children, the destruction of vital infrastructures and the impending famine in Gaza must be a wakeup call for the entire international community. Civilians should not pay the price of any conflict. Palestinians cannot wait any longer for meaningful aid to arrive, Israel must do more to avert a further human disaster. Respect of international law is paramount."

Background

The protracted humanitarian situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate rapidly due to the continued intensification of hostilities after the terrorist attack on Israel and the consequent full-scale Israeli military operation, along with the blockade of Gaza.

The already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a catastrophic level for the 2.2 million population, resulting in a high death toll among civilians and a concrete risk of famine.

To respond to the crisis, since October 2023, the EU has conducted 48 humanitarian air bridge flights transporting over 2,000 tonnes of relief items supplied by humanitarian partners and several EU Member States.

The EU also opened 2 EU warehouses inside Gaza, in Rafah and the Middle Area, for a total of 1,500 square meters at disposal of humanitarian partners.

The EU is also exploring all available means of aid delivery, while the land delivery remains the most effective and efficient way to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza at scale needed.

Through the EHRC, an epidemiologist of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has also been deployed to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Jordan.