EC says it will immediately triple humanitarian assistance for Gaza to more than 75M euro
The European Commission (EC) will immediately increase the current humanitarian aid envelope foreseen for Gaza by 50 million euro, bringing the total to more than 75 million euro, EC President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Von der Leyen made the announcement after speaking on October 14 to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres.
The announcement came in the context of Von der Leyen’s talks with regional leaders in the wake of the attacks on Israel that began on October 7 by the Hamas terrorist organisation, and Israel’s operations against Hamas.
“We will continue our close cooperation with the UN and its agencies to ensure that this aid reaches those in need in the Gaza strip,” Von der Leyen said.
“The Commission supports Israel’s right to defend itself against the Hamas terrorists, in full respect of international humanitarian law. We are working hard to ensure that innocent civilians in Gaza are provided support in this context,” she said.
European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič said: “The Commission is doing everything in its power to provide humanitarian support to civilians in the Gaza strip.
“This tripling of EU humanitarian assistance will help ensure that civilians in Gaza can be provided with the basic necessities required. It is essential that safe and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid is ensured,” Lenarčič said.
