New Zealand Increases Humanitarian Aid for Gaza to $5 Million
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced an additional $5 million in aid to the World Food Program and UNICEF for Gaza's humanitarian crisis early Monday, citing the catastrophic conditions in the enclave due to the Israeli war.
"New Zealand will provide a further $5m to the World Food Programme & UNICEF for emergency food, sanitation and health assistance. This brings NZ’s total humanitarian support for those impacted by the (war on Gaza) to $22m," Peters added.
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic," he expressed in a statement.
The eight-month military offensive and blockade by Israel in Gaza has resulted in over 37,300 Palestinian casualties, plunging the territory into a severe humanitarian crisis. International aid agencies report widespread hunger and hundreds of thousands of people at risk of famine.
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks on UNRWA-run facilities in Gaza have claimed the lives of at least 497 internally displaced people, according to the latest update from the agency.
Israel is also accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. A recent ruling from the court demanded an immediate cessation of Israeli operations in Rafah, a southern city where over 1 million Palestinians sought refuge before its invasion on May 6.