(Adnkronos) – The UN Food Programme has urged the international community to boost humanitarian aid to help millions of Palestinians in the war-shattered Gaza as they look to rebuild their lives amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the enclave’s Islamist rulers Hamas.
“The scale of the needs is enormous and progress must be maintained. The ceasefire must hold,” a WFP cited the UN agency’s deputy executive director Carl Skau as saying late on Thursday in a statement after a visit to Gaza.
“We cannot go back,” Skau added.
WFP has sent in 15,000 tonnes of food since the ceasefire began on 19 January, getting food parcels, hot meals and cash to over 525,000 people, the statement said.
WFP is now operating 22 bakeries across Gaza and is providing cash so that families can decide for themselves how to meet their most basic needs, according to the statement.
Meeting families, Skau said he noted “a sense of relief” at being able to reunite and have meals together – often amid the rubble of their homes.
“This is a strong step in the right direction but it is not enough,” Skau said.
Nations need to team up in crucial sectors like water, sanitation, shelter and to get children back into school, Skau underlined.
“We need to work together. WFP, with its logistics expertise, is ready to support all efforts,” said Skau.
Gazans require help to become self-sufficient and boost their long-term resilience against hunger by re-establishing commercial markets, farming, food processing and fishing, for example, Skau said
“The people of Gaza are unique in their strength, resilience and capacity to rebuild,” Skau said. He urged international donors to keep funding WFP’s life-saving assistance “at this pivotal moment”.
During his two-day visit to Gaza, Skau went to Jabalia, Gaza City and Khan Younis, visited WFP operations and met heads of UN agencies.
