RAMALLAH, April 20, 2026 (WAFA) – The Government of Japan and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) have launched a $3.8 million initiative aimed at addressing critical bottlenecks in humanitarian access and urgent health needs across the West Bank and Gaza.
The 12-month project, "Emergency Access Coordination and Provision of Essential Supplies across Gaza and the West Bank," has two primary objectives: facilitating the movement of life-saving aid and personnel, and delivering essential medical supplies to healthcare facilities.
A statement issued by the Representative Office of Japan to Palestine said, “Since 7 October 2023, 94% of hospitals in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Subsequent limitations to humanitarian access have left the remaining healthcare services in a perilous state of operation, barely able to discharge services to the over 42,000 people suffering from life-changing injuries to date. Essential services in the West Bank, too, remain under considerable strain.”
According to the statement, this project aims to enhance access to healthcare by addressing the following priority areas of intervention:
● Access Facilitation: Provision of 24/7 support to personnel movement across the West Bank and into Gaza through the Access Support Unit (ASU), and facilitation of entry and verification of relief goods and services for Gaza through the UN2720 Mechanism.
● Medical Equipment: Delivery of essential medicines, medical equipment and supplies to healthcare facilities to support the treatment of thousands of injured patients.
● Rehabilitation Assistance: Provision for the mobility-challenged of assistive technology kits, including wheelchairs, crutches, and other mobility aids, to patients in need of rehabilitation, including children.
"This generous contribution from Japan will help us address some of the most pressing needs and constraints in Gaza and the West Bank today. UNOPS is proud to partner with Japan on this important effort," said Karuna Herrmann, Director of UNOPS Jerusalem.
ARAIKE Katsuhiko, Ambassador for the Palestinian Affairs, renewed Japanese people’s steadfast commitment to supporting human security of the Palestinian people: “The Government of Japan upholds the commitment of the international community to the hard-earned peace reflected in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 and facilitating humanitarian access through the UN2720 Mechanism for Gaza as well as the West Bank through its partnership with UNOPS. The project will deliver essential medical supplies and assistive technologies to those who underwent life-changing injuries.”
UNOPS is a central procurement, infrastructure, and project management resource in the UN system, which also acts as a service provider to donor and recipient governments in the development, humanitarian and peacekeeping arenas. Uniquely positioned to help partners deliver aid at scale in the occupied Palestinian territory, it has a proven track record of delivering both humanitarian and long-term development projects in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Over the past two years, UNOPS has evolved into an essential component of the UN System’s response to the Gaza Crisis, and an agile enabler of humanitarian aid provision at scale.
In December 2025, in response to the dire situation across Palestine, the Government of Japan decided to launch a cooperation package for Palestine (2026–2027), amounting to JPY 25 billion ($167 million), to continue enabling life-saving humanitarian assistance, early recovery, and nation-building efforts in Palestine. Since 1993, the Government of Japan has extended approximately $2.6 billion in Official Development Assistance to Palestine.
T.R.
