UK unveils £88M aid package for Palestinians
Shafaq News- New York
The United Kingdom announced a package of more than £88 million in humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The funding will support healthcare, clean water, sanitation and hygiene services, waste management and protection programs for people affected by the conflict. UK-backed facilities are expected to provide medical consultations for up to 900,000 people and rehabilitation and prosthetic treatment for 1,000 children with blast injuries. The package will also fund emergency water deliveries for 150,000 people, mental health and psychosocial support for 21,000 people and waste management services for up to 900,000.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing the 81st UN General Assembly by video after the United States denied him a visa for the second consecutive year, said Palestinians were facing one of the most serious periods in their history. Gaza was enduring what he called an “unprecedented genocidal war,” while Palestinians in the West Bank faced repeated settler attacks and Israeli policies that he said were undermining the two-state solution.
Read more: Western countries target Israeli settlement trade amid Gaza attacks
The Palestinian leadership had welcomed US President Donald Trump’s plan, UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and a roadmap for implementing the final phase of the Gaza agreement, but none had yet been implemented on the ground, Abbas said.
He also called on Washington to work with the Palestinians and the international community to advance a two-state solution, saying 160 countries had recognized the State of Palestine.
Read more: 142 nations back UN resolution calling for Palestinian statehood
