Tag: Foreign secretary David Cameron

UK steps up health support for women and girls in Gaza

£4.25 million in UK aid will help ensure UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, can provide life-saving support to vulnerable women and girls

  • Foreign Secretary David Cameron announces £4.25m in aid to support sexual and reproductive healthcare in Gaza.
  • Support expected to help UN agency UNFPA reach more than 110,000 women with community midwives, menstrual hygiene kits and clean birth delivery kits.
  • Comes as women and girls in Gaza increasingly at risk of disease, pregnancy complications and gender-based violence.

The Foreign Secretary has announced new funding to tackle the sexual and reproductive healthcare crisis in Gaza. The £4.25 million in UK aid will help ensure UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, can provide life-saving support to vulnerable women and girls.

This support is expected to reach about 111,500 women, around 1 in 5 of the adult women in Gaza. It will support up to 100 community midwives, the distribution of around 20,000 menstrual hygiene management kits and 45,000 clean delivery kits.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron confirmed the additional funding in response to a UN flash appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Women and girls are particularly at risk from disease, pregnancy complications and gender-based violence in Gaza currently, with 85% of people displaced and currently just 13 out of the 36 hospitals partially functional, with one specialist maternity hospital functioning.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “Women are bearing the brunt of the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza today. Many thousands of women are currently pregnant and will be worrying about delivering their babies safely.

“This new UK funding will help make giving birth safer and improve the lives of mothers and their new-born babies. 

“We need to see an immediate pause in the fighting so we can secure the safe release of hostages, get more aid in, and allow organisations like UNFPA to do their vital work effectively.”

UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Natalia Kanem, said: “In Gaza, the reality for women and girls is horrific – and getting worse each day. They have little to no access to essential health services and menstrual supplies, and many are forced to give birth in unsafe conditions that put their lives and those of their babies at risk.

“The support of the United Kingdom and other partners is vital to get lifesaving resources directly to women and girls in desperate need.”

UNFPA is providing life-saving reproductive health supplies for women and girls in Gaza. Since the most recent crisis began, UNFPA has provided nearly 74,000 adolescents and children with psychosocial support and financial support for over 2,000 vulnerable women at risk of gender- based violence to purchase essential menstrual and hygiene items.

There were an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza at the start of the crisis, with more than 180 births occurring each day and over 5,500 women expected to deliver in the next month.

The UK has trebled our aid commitment to the Occupied Palestinian Territories this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings, including calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out.

Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity.

Foreign Secretary in Middle East and Turkey to progress sustainable Gaza ceasefire

Lord Cameron will visit Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Qatar and Turkey to urge regional leaders to work with the UK to achieve a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza

  • Foreign Secretary to visit Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Qatar and Turkey to hold high-level talks with regional leaders to get more aid into Gaza, hostages out and reach a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.    
  • David Cameron will focus on advancing discussions with the Israelis and Qataris for an urgent humanitarian pause in Gaza  
  • He will build on efforts to secure the safe release of hostages, pushing forward the cases of British and dual nationals through all diplomatic routes. 

The Foreign Secretary travels to the Middle East and Turkey this week where he will urge regional leaders to work with the UK to achieve a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, so that Israelis and Palestinians can build a peaceful future together.   

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have set out the necessary elements for progress – Hamas must agree to the release of all hostages, they can no longer be in charge of Gaza and the threat from their terror and rocket attacks must end. An agreement must also be put in place for the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza in order to provide governance and services and, increasingly, security.   

In Israel, the Foreign Secretary will speak to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Katz, calling for more to be done, more quickly to significantly increase the flow of life-saving aid into Gaza. He is also expected to raise UK concerns over the high number of civilian causalities.   

The Foreign Secretary will reiterate that more crossing points need to be open for longer for aid deliveries to Gaza, including the port at Ashdod and the Kerem Shalom crossing, and that water, fuel and electricity must be restored during his meetings.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “No-one wants to see this conflict go on a moment longer than necessary. An immediate pause is now necessary to get aid in and hostages out. The situation is desperate.  

“This week I am in the Middle East working with partners to help build a plan to move from that pause to a sustainable, permanent ceasefire without a return to hostilities.   

“Such a plan would require Hamas to agree to the release of all hostages, Hamas to no longer be in charge of Gaza launching rocket attacks at Israel, and an agreement in place for the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza in order to provide governance and services and, increasingly, security.”

The Foreign Secretary will also meet with President Abbas and will highlight the UK’s long-term support for a two-state solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live side-by-side in peace.   

In Qatar, David Cameron will see first-hand UK-Qatar co-operation to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza for those who need it most, and meet counterparts to discuss how the two countries can work more closely together to do even more.   

He will also hold detailed talks on efforts to secure the safe release of hostages, pressing the cases of British and dual nationals through as many diplomatic channels possible.   

Qatar has been a key mediator throughout the conflict to allow for the release of hostages. It is important the UK continues to work with Qatar, and others in the region, to secure a sustainable ceasefire and the release of all further hostages held by Hamas.    

The UK is working with both Qatar and Turkey to address regional instability, seeking the safe return of hostages, working together to tackle terrorism and support those affected by conflict.   

In Turkey, the Foreign Secretary will meet Turkish Government leaders to discuss regional security in the Middle East alongside a range of other shared challenges. The UK and Turkey have a close partnership and will continue our essential work on tackling terrorism and illegal migration and shoring up support for NATO and Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary: Israel must act now to let aid through and save lives in Gaza. Britain has a plan to help that happen

With crossings opened for longer, water supplies restored and UN staff able to safely distribute food, we can limit the scale of this catastrophe, says DAVID CAMERON.

It was heartbreaking to read the latest independent assessment of hunger in Gaza. The situation is desperate – and projected to get worse. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 9 out of every 10 Palestinians in northern Gaza may be eating less than 1 meal a day.

With families displaced and sanitation close to non-existent, disease and illness will spread. Almost 40% of Gaza’s population is aged under 15. Death and despair haunt these children’s lives. We all know we must act. The question is how.

Some say we must have an immediate ceasefire. I do not want to see this conflict go on a moment longer than necessary. But this means achieving a sustainable ceasefire, one that will last and prevent another generation of children living under the constant threat of war. That means no more Hamas, and its rocket attacks and commitment to terror.

Given that, I have argued for further humanitarian pauses, to get more hostages out of and more aid in to Gaza.

But what if neither of these things happens soon? How do we avoid hunger turning into famine? How can we alleviate suffering while supporting Israel’s right to self-defence?

We need more aid – and fast. In recent days, the Royal Navy made its first maritime shipment of aid into Egypt, sending in more than 80 tonnes of blankets and life-saving medical supplies. And France and Jordan have dropped some aid by air into Gaza.

The British government and our partners are committed to being as creative as possible in getting life-saving assistance to those in need. But the fact is the need is too great for direct delivery via air and sea to make a significant difference in the short term. What matters is simpler: more aid delivered by land, more quickly and more effectively.

Last week, about 131 trucks were entering Gaza each day via the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. The figure is creeping towards 200 daily. But even this is nowhere near enough – the number should be close to 500.

We recognise Israel’s own pain and anger after the horrors of 7 October, and with hostages still held in appalling conditions. Two British citizens are among them. Of course, Hamas shows no regard for the lives of civilians, Israeli or Palestinian. The situation on the ground is complex, and no one country can resolve it alone.

Yet it will do nothing for those hostages or Israel’s war aims if the situation turns into an even greater catastrophe. And I believe there is much more we can do that will make an immediate difference.

As I saw in al-Arish in Egypt, too much aid is presently piled up, unable to enter Gaza. I have appointed a representative for humanitarian affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Based on their intensive work, we have identified the bottlenecks and how to unblock them.

Take crossing points. With extended opening hours and capacity at the Nitzana screening facility and Kerem Shalom checkpoint, much more aid could enter Gaza. Opening Kerem Shalom in December helped – opening it 7 days a week would help even more.

Opening more routes for aid to come in and be loaded on to trucks would also be transformative. Ashdod port in Israel is much closer to Gaza than Port Said in Egypt. The facilities for mass delivery are there now, ready to be used.

The new land corridor from Jordan into Gaza – run by WFP, with British backing – has made a first delivery of 750 tonnes of food aid. Both these options could deliver enormous quantities of aid, especially if the Erez crossing at the north end of Gaza was open.

Greater consistency of the goods allowed in is vital. More rational and transparent explanations of what is restricted by Israel, and why, will allow governments, aid organisations and the private sector to scale up aid considerably.

Israel could also restore water supply lines, reconnect electricity supplies and let in sufficient fuel to power critical infrastructure such as bakeries.

Finally – and perhaps most importantly of all – we need to help the United Nations, whose brave staff are trying to manage distribution in desperate circumstances inside the Gaza Strip.

It is no good getting aid in if it cannot be safely and effectively distributed. More visas and imports of vehicles for them will mean their staff can enter Gaza, enhancing our confidence that aid will reach those in genuine need.

These steps may seem technical, at odds with the scale of the human tragedy unfolding in Gaza. But our focus must be practical solutions that save lives, not empty slogans that make no difference on the ground. Such solutions exist.

The time to act is now.

This article was originally published in The Guardian and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

UK steps up humanitarian aid commitments to Gaza

The Foreign Secretary saw first-hand the impact of UK aid on a visit to Al Arish, near the Egypt-Gaza border yesterday, as the UK calls for significant more aid to reach Gaza, through as many routes as possible.   

David Cameron met with representatives from the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, who are coordinating the relief effort at the Rafah crossing, and hear how the UK’s contributions of shelter, blankets and other vital equipment has been providing much needed relief to the people of Gaza.    

Together with international partners, the UK is increasing efforts to get greater humanitarian aid into Gaza. The UK will support United Nations World Food Programme to further enhance the new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan through Kerem Shalom.  

The first direct World Food Programme aid convoy, made up of 46 trucks, travelled from Jordan to Gaza on 20th December carrying over 750 tonnes of food aid. A £2 million contribution from the UK will help to get further emergency food assistance to those who need it most.   

The UK continues to urge Israel to increase the flow of aid into Gaza through Kerem Shalom and are exploring other routes to increase aid reaching Gaza, including maritime options.     

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “The UK is committed to alleviating the suffering of people in Gaza. We have already trebled our aid commitment to Palestinians this year and the Prime Minister and I urged Israel at the highest levels to open Kerem Shalom in order to get significantly more aid into Gaza.

“We need to use as many routes as possible to achieve this goal. We have supported Jordan to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza and continue to call for significantly more aid to be allowed into Gaza through Kerem Shalom.

“I am delighted to appoint Mark Bryson-Richardson as the UK’s Humanitarian Representative. He is a highly skilled diplomat official with extensive experience working in the region and will drive forward this vital work.”

The UK is stepping up its commitment for greater humanitarian aid and fuel to reach civilians in Gaza by appointing Mark Bryson-Richardson as the Foreign Secretary’s Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Mark is a former UK Ambassador to Iraq and previously headed the Department for International Development’s Middle East and North Africa Directorate and the cross-Government Stabilisation Unit.    

So far, the UK has announced it will spend almost £60 million in additional humanitarian funding in Gaza, trebling our existing annual budget to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).

UK aid will make a huge difference on the ground in Gaza, for example we will be providing coverage kits which are temporary shelters including plastic sheeting and blankets that are desperately needed in the harsh winter weather.

The UK continues to reiterate the urgent need for more humanitarian pauses and sustained access for more aid and fuel to reach civilians in need.    

The most recent package of £30 million funding, announced by the Foreign Secretary on his last visit to the region, has been allocated to trusted partners on the ground. This includes UNRWA, UNICEF, the OCHA Pooled Fund and the British Red Cross to support the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies, who are providing vital food, shelter and medical supplies.

Cameron calls for increased European coordination on humanitarian crises

  • David Cameron will travel to Paris and Rome for talks with French President Macron, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, and foreign minister counterparts 
  • He will call for increased coordination between allies to address the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza as well as maintaining support for Ukraine 
  • Discussions will also focus on working together to tackle illegal migration 

At a time of volatile international crises, Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit the French and Italian capitals today (19 December) to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza as well as maintaining support for Ukraine over the winter period.  

During the visit, the Foreign Secretary will reiterate his call for a sustainable ceasefire, leading to a sustainable peace, and for increased coordination across European allies to ensure life-saving aid can get into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. The Foreign Secretary will also urge continued support for Ukraine to defend itself through military, humanitarian and economic means.  

Tackling illegal migration is also high on the agenda, with the UK working alongside France and Italy to stop the criminal gangs. This follows the UK signing landmark deals with the two countries that have seen small boat channel crossings drop by a third. 

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “As we face some of the greatest challenges to international security in a lifetime, our response must be one of strength and resilience with our European allies. 

“From the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, to Putin’s brutality in Ukraine, it is more important than ever to strengthen our alliances and make sure our voice is heard.”

In Paris, the Foreign Secretary will meet French President Emmanuel Macron, and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss maintaining support for Ukraine and finding a long-term political solution that supports Israel’s security and the rights of Palestinians to live in peace. They will also discuss how the UK and France can continue to coordinate their humanitarian responses in Gaza. 

The visit will also look ahead to a milestone year for UK-France relations in 2024, which will mark 120 years since the signing of the Entente Cordiale and 80 years since the D-Day landings, two watershed moments for the two countries. 

Following the Prime Minister’s visit over the weekend, the Foreign Secretary will then travel to Rome for talks with the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and to address Italian ambassadors gathered at the Italian foreign ministry for their annual Heads of Mission conference.  

The Foreign Secretary will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s meeting with PM Meloni this weekend. Top of the agenda for the Rome programme will be boosting the two countries’ close cooperation on illegal migration. 

They will welcome a new agreement between the two countries to contribute £4 million to the International Organization for Migration’s assisted voluntary returns project in Tunisia.

The joint funding will go towards providing humanitarian assistance and support for vulnerable and stranded migrants to return home safely.

UK commits further support to get aid into Gaza

Foreign Secretary announces further funding to tackle growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza

  • On day two of a visit to Israel and the OPTs, Foreign Secretary David Cameron – Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton’ – announces further UK funding to tackle the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
  • In meetings in Israel, Foreign Secretary pressed to open up greater access for lifesaving support including medical supplies and fuel.
  • As the fourth UK aircraft of humanitarian aid arrives in Egypt, the  UK pledges £30 million additional aid funding for Gaza.

Following a series of meetings with senior Israeli politicians on Thursday, the Foreign Secretary’s talks today will focus on how UK efforts can help alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

He will also discuss supporting the Palestinian Authority, including through training and capacity building, and look towards a long-term political solution to the crisis.

The Foreign Secretary will also meet aid agencies delivering UK-funded humanitarian support in Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary has announced that the UK will provide a further £30 million in humanitarian aid which will support trusted partners, including UN agencies on the ground, to deliver lifesaving aid to people in Gaza. 

It brings to £60 million the additional aid announced by the UK for Palestinian civilians since the crisis started in October. 

Foreign Secretary, David Cameron said: “We are hopeful that today will see the release of hostages, and I am urging all parties to continue to work towards the release of every hostage. A pause will also allow access for life-saving aid to the people of Gaza.  

“I am proud that a fourth UK flight carrying critical supplies landed in Egypt today, and I can announce new £30m of funding which will be spent on vital aid such as shelter and medical provisions.

“It is vital to protect civilians from harm, and we are urgently looking at all avenues to get aid into Gaza, including land, maritime and air routes.”

Today’s additional funding comes as the fourth UK aircraft carrying humanitarian aid landed in Al Arish, Egypt, for onward transfer to Gaza. The RAF flight carried 23 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including 4,500 blankets and 4,500 sleeping mats for distribution by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). 

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The RAF continues to deliver on the UK’s commitment to helping those in need by operating flights into the region to provide urgent humanitarian support which will save civilian lives. 

“The UK is driving international efforts to support the humanitarian response in Gaza, working closely alongside partners and allies to de-escalate the situation.”

During his visit, the Foreign Secretary continued to urge all parties to make progress on the agreement between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, to allow the release of a number of hostages and a pause in the fighting and ensure the agreement is adhered to in full.