UK Aid to match public donations for Gaza relief

11 Aug 14
The UK will match the next £2m of public donations to support the civilians caught up in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced.

By Judith Ugwumadu | 11 August 2014

The UK will match the next £2m of public donations to support the civilians caught up in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced.

She has activated the UK Aid Match for the Disasters Emergency Committee, which appeals for immediate life-saving support for people in the region following a month of ongoing violence between Hamas and Israel. UK Aid will match every £1 donated by the British public.

Greening said: ‘Four weeks of violence have left people in Gaza in desperate need of food, shelter and medical supplies. The British people have shown immense generosity in situations like this and the UK government will help that generosity in situations like this and the UK government will help that generosity go twice as far.

‘Giving now means every pound they donate will buy twice as many food parcels, provide twice as many blankets and help twice as many people get through this crisis.’

Fulfilment of this £2m promise will take the UK government's total support for the people of Gaza since the start of this crisis to £17m.

The UK has already committed £6m to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Gaza Flash Appeal for basics such as shelter and cooking equipment. An additional £9m has been sent to the wider relief effort in Gaza for clean water, food and emergency healthcare.

Last week, the House of Commons International Development Committee said the UK must do more to press Israel to lift ‘unnecessary’ restrictions that limit economic development within the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  Israel has imposed restrictions on, for example, construction permits, demolitions, access to water and access to 3G and 4G networks for Palestinians.

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