Statement just released by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Humanitarian contribution to Gaza and the West Bank

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just issued a statement which reads:

“The government is providing an exceptional humanitarian contribution of 50 million Danish kroner to Gaza and the West Bank. This Danish support aims to assist the civilian population severely affected by the drastically deteriorating humanitarian situation. This follows Hamas's attack on Israel and the subsequent fighting in and around Gaza.

Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jorgensen, says:

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza in particular is extremely dire. That is why we are now providing 50 million Danish kroner in emergency humanitarian aid, which will help the civilian population in need in a tragic situation.”.

According to the United Nations, 1.3 million civilians out of a total population of 2.2 million in Gaza and the West Bank are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. It is estimated that up to one million civilians fled to other areas within Gaza during the past week, and that approximately 2,780 people have lost their lives in Gaza, including 724 children.

The humanitarian situation is expected to deteriorate further in the coming period. In particular, shortages of food, water, electricity, fuel, and medical supplies are expected to worsen. Restoring humanitarian access is also crucial. In this regard, the government supports the ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure humanitarian access.

Specifically, Danish humanitarian aid will go to:

• 33 million Danish kroner to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to support the urgent humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.
• 17 million Danish kroner has been allocated to the International Committee of the Red Cross's efforts in Gaza. The focus is on delivering emergency aid, treating the wounded, and humanitarian diplomacy, including negotiations regarding humanitarian access.

Overview:

Humanitarian aid focuses exclusively on helping civilians meet their basic needs, such as water, food, and protection. Therefore, humanitarian assistance is not covered by the government's decision of 10 October 2023 regarding the review of Danish development aid to Palestine.”

The statement has ended.