MICHIGAN,
Friday, July 30, 2021 (WAFA) - More than 5,000 Palestine refugees in Gaza will receive much-needed food
supplies thanks to a generous contribution from Mercy-USA for Aid and
Development. The funding will support the emergency food assistance programme administered by the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) which provides
food parcels to more than one million Palestine refugees on a quarterly basis.
The contribution comes as thousands of Palestine refugees
struggle to rebuild their lives following 11 days of intense airstrikes and
violence that left 256 Palestinians (including 66 children) dead and more than
1,400 families temporarily displaced. The crisis occurred at a time when
refugees in the 365 km² enclave were already struggling with economic fallout
from the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with fourteen years of blockade.
“Mercy-USA is grateful to UNRWA, our long-time and
trusted partner, for implementing this donation of emergency food aid to vulnerable
families in Gaza. It’s our hope this gift from our donors brings comfort to
families who were already living in an untenable situation even before this
latest crisis,” said Umar Alqadi,
Mercy-USA’s CEO.
On 15 May, UNRWA launched a US$38 million Flash
Appeal to support refugees impacted by an intensification of violence that
started in April in both the West Bank and Gaza. An updated Recovery Appeal,
launched in late June, seeks an additional US$164 million in funding for
humanitarian assistance, emergency shelter repairs and mental health
interventions to those affected in the besieged Strip.
“The impact of this conflict on Palestine refugees and the trauma it leaves them with are staggering,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. “The ability of UNRWA to contribute to a sense of normality in the lives of Palestine refugees, such as through the continuation of food assistance, is possible thanks to this kind of partnerships.”
Mercy-USA, a long-standing partner to the Agency,
seeks to alleviate human suffering by supporting projects focused primarily on
health, nutrition and economic and educational empowerment.
K.F.
