RAMALLAH _ Palestine News Network
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced the launch of the humanitarian response plan for the Palestinian territories in 2019, totaling $350 million.
"The amount will be spent on about 1.4 million Palestinians to provide basic food, protection, health care, shelter, water and sanitation," OCHA said in an English statement Monday.
Palestinians, who are perceived by the office as requiring humanitarian intervention, are scattered between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The next year´s plan, according to the statement, includes 203 projects to be implemented by 88 organizations, with 38 national organizations, 37 international non-governmental organizations and 13 United Nations agencies.
He stated that 77 per cent of the funds sought were targeted at Gaza; "The humanitarian situation in Gaza has already worsened since March March the past because of the dramatic rise in the number of Palestinian victims during demonstrations at the border."
While in the West Bank, support will focus on vulnerable families in the Israeli-controlled area (c), East Jerusalem and areas in Hebron.
Palestinian social Development Minister Ibrahim al-Sha´er said the humanitarian context in the occupied Palestinian territories is deteriorating under occupation, lack of resources and a decline in funds due to the politicization of humanitarian aid.
For his part, "Jimmy Mcgoldrake " Humanitarian coordinator, the challenges of the Office in Palestine, constantly deteriorating humanitarian conditions, low funding and increased attacks to delegitimize humanitarian action, according to the statement.
The support provided by the OCHA differs from the assistance provided by the relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), as the two organizations are expected to record challenges in mobilizing funding for their programmes in 2019.
Earlier this year, the United States suspended its support for "UNRWA", estimated annually at around 365 million dollars.
