A three million euro grant from the European Union and the UN World Food Programme has helped over 4,000 households hit by fighting between Palestinian militants and Israel in Gaza last May - the worst escalation in hostilities since 2014.
The EU-WFP aid took the form of three monthly US$270.50 cash payments to 23,400 people to help families repay debts and pay for food, shelter and healthcare, the EU and Rome-based WFP said in a joint statement.
“People saw this assistance as a chance to breathe,” said Samer AbdelJaber, WFP Representative and Country Director in Palestine.
“The impact of cash assistance goes beyond helping people meet their needs. Its flexibility gives people the freedom to choose to spend the cash as they see fit. People having this freedom to prioritise, especially in an unstable context, is important and empowering.”
"The people of Gaza have faced a particularly difficult year. Impacted by the pandemic and escalating violence, the EU needed to be there for the most vulnerable Gazans,” said Janez Lenarcic, European Commissioner for Crisis Management.
“Cash assistance helped families at risk of losing everything find their footing again. As a long-standing donor of humanitarian aid to Palestinians, the EU is committed to stand in solidarity with people in need and uphold human dignity.”
Besides giving essential food aid to the most vulnerable, WFP supports training, skills-focused job opportunities and home farming to boost food supplies and nutrition for Palestinians, according to the statement.
The UN agency also works with partner organisations, donors and local institutions to give technical support and to strengthen the capacity of its national partners and local social service providers, the statement added.
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