Follow-up – Al-Rashid
The United States announced $53 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza, while USAID Director Samantha Power called for protection for aid workers in the Strip.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said that the aid will pass through the World Food Program and non-governmental organizations, and this comes due to Israeli and Western criticism of the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in besieged Gaza.
Announcing the aid in a video from Jordan, Power continued that the new aid “must reach people in need.”
She added: “Aid workers who risk their lives on the ground in Gaza to transport food to people in need must be protected.”
She addressed them, saying: “They must be confident that they will not be shot or killed while doing their work.” Without mentioning Israel or Hamas as the responsible party.
This assistance brings the total US emergency aid provided to the Palestinians to $180 million since the attack launched by Hamas on Israel on October 7, as a result of which Israel responded with a bloody military campaign in Gaza.
The United States had previously transported aid by military plane to Egypt to be transported by land to Gaza.
The United States and other Western countries suspended their funding for UNRWA in response to Israeli allegations that some of the organization’s employees participated in the October 7 attack, without providing convincing evidence.
The United Nations expelled the employees accused by Israel and began an internal investigation into UNRWA.
With UNRWA being prevented from delivering aid, the United Nations warned of a looming famine threatening all the people of Gaza.
