Department for International Development
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New support for vulnerable groups in Gaza
The UK is providing a further £1.8m for life-saving support to vulnerable groups including children and old people living in Gaza, International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander announced today.
The money is part of the Government's £27m humanitarian support package and will help four aid agencies assist in meeting the urgent needs of the men, women and children who have been injured, made homeless or otherwise affected by the recent fighting.
The agencies will provide medical aid, food and water, as well as help to rebuild the region. This will include reconstruction of water supplies and destroyed buildings, counselling for people suffering from trauma and help for vulnerable groups such as the disabled and elderly.
The four organisations are:
* Islamic Relief (£661,000). The money will be used to repair 200 houses and rebuild 20 schools, and to provide 500 families with six months worth of basic necessary non-food items such as medicine, toilet roll and toothpaste. It will also be used for working within communities to provide counselling for those affected by the recent fighting, including support sessions for 1,000 people.
* Welfare Association (£300,000) for health work to expand its community-based work for disabled people and their families. It will send doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists and social workers to help up to 10,000 people with new and existing disabilities.
* Action Against Hunger (£400,000) for water, sanitation and hygiene work. Because of damage to water pipes and wells, more than 250,000 people are believed currently to be without a water supply. Action Against Hunger will look to replace damaged pipes, valves and manholes and ensure individual households are reconnected, as well as raising awareness of good hygiene practices and water saving techniques.
* Handicap International (£422,000) will provide an emergency medical response for 21,000 extremely vulnerable people, including the elderly and those with injuries or disabilities. It will help with physical rehabilitation and care for those injured in the conflict, as well as providing wheelchairs and other support. It will also look to ensure that existing rehabilitation, education and prosthetic services continue for those already living with disability.
Douglas Alexander said:
"This aid will provide a wide-range of much-needed help for the people of Gaza both now and in the weeks to come. As well as helping those in need of immediate support, it will support particularly vulnerable groups, including children, the disabled, and the elderly.
"The lack of access for aid workers and their convoys continues to be a major problem and must improve if we are to meet the needs of people suffering as a result of the recent fighting. We are in direct contact with the Israeli Government about this and working alongside the UN and other donors to find a solution all parties can agree to. Once again, I urge all parties to respect the legitimate and independent work of the aid agencies and allow them to help those innocent people who have been devastated by this crisis."
The allocation of nearly £1.8m is part of the UK's £27m commitment to support aid agencies working on the ground in Gaza. £14m of this fund has now been allocated.
Notes to Editors
1. DFID has committed £26.8 million to help meet immediate needs in Gaza. To date, nearly £14 million of this has been allocated as follows:
Organisation Detail Commitment
(£)
UN Relief and Works Food and cash assistance to 4,000,000
Agency (UNRWA) Gaza those in need and shelter
Flash Appeal assistance for the
displaced. Fuel to maintain
essential public services.
UN's Humanitarian This will enable the UN's 1,000,000
Emergency Response local Humanitarian
Fund Coordinator to quickly
allocate funds to emerging
priorities, making them
available to NGOs and other
organisations with staff on
the ground, to meet
immediate humanitarian
needs.
World Food Programme Logistics coordination and 1,000,000
facilitation for the whole
humanitarian community.
International Relief Assistance (food and 4,000,000
Committee for the Red non food items); health and
Cross protection activities.
Mines Advisory Group Assess, survey and clear 200,000
the danger of unexploded
ordnance in Gaza.
United Nations Contribution and airlift of 500,000
3 armoured cars to
facilitate safe assessments
and relief delivery by UN
agencies as quickly as
possible.
Oxfam Immediate water and 600,000
sanitation needs of
vulnerable communities in
Gaza.
Mercy Corps Emergency shelter, non-food 915,000
items, and psychosocial
support to conflict
affected children, youth
and families in Gaza
Handicap Emergency medical response 422,000
International for the extremely
vulnerable including people
with injuries, people with
disabilities and the
elderly.
Action Against Hunger Improve access to water 400,000
through emergency
rehabilitation of water
infrastructure and raise
awareness of good hygiene
practice.
Welfare Association Expand comprehensive 300,000
community-based health
rehabilitation services for
disabled people and their
families in areas of high
need.
Islamic Relief Non-food items, 661,000
psychosocial support, house
repair, emergency school
rehabilitation
Total committed to 13,998,000 date
The Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) has allocated £3m for urgent humanitarian relief work in Gaza, of which the UK contributes about 16% (Euros 482,000).
The UK is also the largest donor to the UN administered Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) which has allocated $7m for emergency humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
DFID, the Department for International Development: leading the British government's fight against world poverty. One in five people in the world today, over 1 billion people, live in poverty on less than one dollar a day.
Information Department 1 Palace Street, London SW1E
5HE.
Website: http://www.dfid.gov.uk
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