Emergency funding to support people affected by severe flooding in Kenya
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson has pledged funding of £250,000 to aid charities responding to those affected by the severe flooding in Kenya through the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF).
Oxfam and Islamic Relief will receive £125,000 each to support thousands of families affected by the flooding with their immediate basic needs, including food, shelter and clean water. The funding will also support services to raise awareness and prevent gender-based violence.
Nearly 1.6 million people across East Africa have been affected by recent heavy rains, flash floods and landslides. In Kenya, 315 deaths have been reported and more than 58,000 families are estimated to have been displaced.
Mr Robertson said: “Our thoughts are with the families of those who have lost loved ones and the thousands of families whose homes have been substantially damaged by the severe flooding across Kenya.
“The £250,000 funding pledge to aid charities responding to the crisis through the Humanitarian Emergency Fund demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to providing essential assistance to people in need.
“This funding will play an important role in addressing the immediate needs of those affected by the flooding, including helping to provide access to food, shelter and clean water.”
Oxfam in Kenya’s Humanitarian Lead Mat Cousins said: “The Scottish Government’s contribution is a lifeline for many families in Nairobi’s informal settlements who have lost everything to the floods.
“This funding will not only address immediate needs such as clean water and shelter but also provide crucial support for women and girls facing heightened risks of gender-based violence. We are grateful for this solidarity in such challenging times and hope it inspires other governments to provide similar life-saving support.”
Islamic Relief Regional Community Fundraising Manager Nadeem Baqir added: “This funding will serve as a vital lifeline for the many families impacted by Kenya’s flood crisis, aiding in the recovery and rebuilding of lives and livelihoods.
“The world’s most vulnerable communities are often the first to suffer from climate-related natural disasters, and we are thankful for the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting those in greatest need.”
The leaders of G7 countries issued a joint statement on Gaza yesterday:
‘We, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), fully endorse and will stand behind the comprehensive deal outlined by President Biden that would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian assistance for distribution throughout Gaza, and an enduring end to the crisis, with Israel’s security interests and Gazan civilian safety assured.
‘We reaffirm our support for a credible pathway towards peace leading to a two State solution.
‘We call on Hamas to accept this deal, that Israel is ready to move forward with, and we urge countries with influence over Hamas to help ensure that it does so.’
The Royal Air Force participated in a large-scale international aid airdrop into Gaza yesterday to coincide with Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.
Collectively delivering hundreds of tonnes of aid, this was the largest airdrop of aid into Gaza on a single day and the culmination of careful planning alongside international partners to ensure the complex mission could be conducted safely and effectively.
Led by the Jordanian Armed Forces, the international operation saw 9 nations* and 14 aircraft drop essential aid.
An RAF A400M flew this morning from Amman, Jordan to airdrop over 10 tonnes of aid, including ready-to-eat meals, water and rice, along the northern coastline of Gaza. The flight took around an hour with other nations’ aircraft dropping aid throughout the course of the day.
The A400M Atlas and crew are based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire with both RAF and British Army personnel supporting the operation in Jordan. Over the last two weeks they have dropped over 53 tonnes of aid on six flights.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: The prospect of famine in Gaza is real and today’s international airdrop will provide life-saving food supplies for civilians.
“This is the sixth RAF airdrop in recent weeks, delivering over 53 tonnes of aid, including water, flour and baby formula.
“After six months of war in Gaza, the toll on civilians continues to grow. We continue to stand by Israel’s right to defeat the threat from Hamas terrorists, who have failed the people of Gaza and hide behind civilians. This terrible conflict must end. The hostages must be released and the aid must flood in.”
Yesterday’s international airdrop is part of UK efforts to provide vital humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza and follows the announcement of a package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza. This includes the deployment of a Royal Navy ship to the Eastern Mediterranean as well as up to £9.7 million for aid deliveries.
The maritime corridor initiative will see tens of thousands of tonnes of aid pre-screened in Cyprus and delivered directly to Gaza, via a new US temporary pier being constructed off the coast or via Ashdod Port, which Israel has now agreed to open.
The UK is also focused on ensuring more aid can enter Gaza by land, and deliveries will be scaled up with the opening of the Erez crossing. In partnership with the World Food Programme, the UK’s largest delivery of aid – more than 2,000 tonnes of food aid – crossed the border on 13 March.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “Led by our Jordanian partners, we have joined nations around the world to mark the end of Ramadan by getting life-saving aid into Gaza. Thousands of people in desperate need will benefit from this united effort.
“The UK remains ready to play its part in getting supplies in by land, air and sea, but the people of Gaza need more.
“We continue to push Israel as hard as we can to get more aid across the border and delivered throughout the region. Words must turn into action – this is essential to avoid an even more severe humanitarian crisis.”
Sunday marked 6 months since the devastating October 7 terrorist attacks, and almost a week since British aid workers were killed trying to get life-saving food to those in need.
The UK continues to call for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire, as the fastest way to get hostages safely home and more aid in.
UK Government announces new package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza
The UK Government is today announcing a package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, including the deployment of a Royal Navy ship to join the life-saving mission in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The ship, alongside new UK aid and British expertise, will support the establishment of an international humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, supported by many of our partner governments and the UN, and is expected to be operational in early May.
As well as the Royal Navy ship from the Ministry of Defence , the FCDO is also committing up to £9.7 million for aid deliveries; logistical expertise and equipment support to the corridor, such as forklift trucks and storage units; and expertise, to maximise the levels of aid reaching those people who desperately need it.
Today marks six months since the devastating October 7 terrorist attacks, and almost a week since British aid workers were killed trying to get life-saving food to those in need. The UK continues to call for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire, as the fastest way to get hostages safely home and more aid in.
In the meantime, the UK Government is doing everything possible to get more aid into Gaza by land, air and sea. In recent weeks, the Royal Air Force has conducted five airdrops along the coastline of Gaza, safely delivering over 40 tonnes of food supplies, including water, flour and baby formula.
Supporting the Jordanian humanitarian land corridor from Amman into Gaza and in partnership with the World Food Programme, the UK’s largest delivery of aid crossed the border on 13 March which saw more than 2,000 tonnes of food aid being distributed on the ground to families in need. Land deliveries will now be scaled up with the opening of the Erez crossing, which the UK wants to see reopened permanently.
A full UK field hospital run by UK-Med is also now fully operational in Gaza and providing life-saving care. It has already treated more than 3,000 people, almost half of them children.
Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, said: “The situation in Gaza is dire and the prospect of famine is real. We remain committed to getting aid to those who so desperately need it. Along with the US, Cyprus and other partners, we are setting up a new temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to get aid in as quickly and securely as possible.
“Land access remains crucial to deliver aid at the scale now required. The opening of Erez and the Port of Ashdod is hugely welcome and something the UK has long been calling for. Israel has also agreed to increase the number of aid trucks entering Gaza to a minimum of 500 a day. But we need to continue to explore all options, including by sea and air, to ease the desperate plight of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”
Gazans are facing a devastating humanitarian crisis and there needs to be a significant increase in the volume of vital supplies entering the territory by all routes, as well as changes to ensure aid can safely be delivered on the ground.
Following the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers last week, the UK government continues to call for urgent reform of deconfliction mechanisms, alongside assurances that guarantee the safety and security of humanitarian aid workers, who work tirelessly on the ground to ensure vital aid supplies reach those who need it most.
The multinational maritime corridor initiative will see tens of thousands of tonnes of aid pre-screened in Cyprus and delivered directly to Gaza, via the new US temporary pier being constructed off the coast or via Ashdod Port, which Israel has now agreed to open. The Prime Minister raised the importance of opening Ashdod to facilitate humanitarian aid earlier this week.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps commented: “A Royal Navy ship is now en-route to the Eastern Mediterranean to support international efforts to get life-saving aid to Gaza.
“The Armed Forces are playing a central role in delivering aid, with the Royal Air Force recently completing five airdrops of food supplies for the people of Gaza. We are now going further, working with international partners to set up a humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza. A new temporary pier on the coast of Gaza will be critical to supporting these efforts, by hosting cargo ships to deliver aid by sea.
“I would like to thank all the personnel involved in this effort, working around the clock to help provide critical aid under immensely challenging circumstances.”
British military teams have been embedded with planning teams in the US operational HQ in Tampa as well as in Cyprus for several weeks to jointly develop the safest and most effective maritime route. The UK Hydrographic Office has also shared analysis of the Gazan shore with US planners to help establish the temporary aid pier.
PM statement on six-month anniversary of the October 7th attacks
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on the six-month anniversary of the October 7th Hamas terror attacks against Israel:
Today marks six months since the terrorist outrage of 7th October – the most appalling attack in Israel’s history, the worst loss of Jewish life since the Second World War.
Six months later, Israeli wounds are still unhealed. Families still mourn and hostages are still held by Hamas.
And after six months of war in Gaza, the toll on civilians continues to grow – hunger, desperation, loss of life on an awful scale.
We continue to stand by Israel’s right to defeat the threat from Hamas terrorists and defend their security.
But the whole of the UK is shocked by the bloodshed, and appalled by the killing of brave British heroes who were bringing food to those in need.
This terrible conflict must end. The hostages must be released. The aid – which we have been straining every sinew to deliver by land, air and sea – must be flooded in.
The children of Gaza need a humanitarian pause immediately, leading to a long-term sustainable ceasefire. That is the fastest way to get hostages out and aid in. and to stop the fighting and loss of life.
For the good of both Israelis and Palestinians – who all deserve to live in peace, dignity and security – that is what we will keep working to achieve.
HOLYROOD’s Cross-Party Group on International Development, chaired by Sarah Boyack MSP, is launching an inquiry into the Scottish Government’s International Development, Climate Justice, and Humanitarian funds after transparency concerns.
This comes after the CPG was made aware of concerns from the sector regarding what funds are allocated, how they are prioritised and why.
Last May, concerns were raised about the significant delays to the awarding of the Climate Justice Fund.
There has also been a lack of transparency from the Scottish Government over recent years.
The Scottish Government’s regular International Development Contribution Report has not been published since the 2019-20 edition.
The inquiry aims to establish how and why decisions have been made and seek to make recommendations for a more transparent future approach.
The CPG’s inquiry will be a mix of evidence from stakeholders, alongside desk-based research.
Commenting on the inquiry launch, Chair Sarah Boyack said: “We know the great benefits that international aid can bring to communities in need.
“However, for too long there has not been transparency on how the Scottish Government’s aid programmes have been delivered.
“This inquiry aims to take a constructive approach to bring clarity into the Scottish Government’s Aid programme.
“If Scotland is going to make a substantial impact with its international aid, it is vital that the processes for awarding this aid are suitably transparent.
“I look forward to engaging with stakeholders and others to carry out this inquiry.
“Our aim will always be to ensure Scotland is world leading in international aid, but it is critical that humanitarian support is sent to the right places for the right reasons.”
The UK announced more support for people in Sudan, including funding to UNICEF for emergency food assistance and support for survivors of gender-based violence
UK support includes food and water for 500,000 children under 5 as Sudan’s humanitarian crisis grows
the funding boost comes as the UK’s Development and Africa Minister, Andrew Mitchell visits the Chad-Sudan border, witnessing the crisis first-hand
the UK again calls on the warring parties to commit to a lasting ceasefire and lift restrictions which are preventing aid reaching those who need it the most
The UK yesterday implemented additional support for people in Sudan, 1 year on from the start of the conflict.
This will include funding to UNICEF which will provide emergency and life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas in Sudan, including nutrition, water and hygiene services for 500,000 children under 5. It will also support survivors of gender-based violence.
The UK is committing an additional £4.95 million to provide 100,000 women and girls with a range of female genital mutilation, child marriage and gender-based violence prevention and response services.
The boost has been announced by the UK Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, during a 2-day visit to Chad where he visited a site for refugees driven over the border into Chad by the violence.
In addition, the UK will be working with the World Food Programme to assist over 285,000 beneficiaries for 6 months by providing 13,405 tons of assorted food commodities. These include cereals, pulses, oils and salt.
It is part of a £89 million package the UK will deliver in Sudan in 2024 to 2025 – up from nearly £50 million in the current financial year.
The conflict in Sudan has caused more than 8 million people to flee their homes, with over 6 million displaced within Sudan itself. After almost a year of conflict, 25 million people in Sudan need assistance, and the country is on the verge of a catastrophic hunger crisis. The UN has formally warned of the risk of famine in this year, with 18 million currently facing hunger in the country.
Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said: “The conflict in Sudan is devastating lives. Millions are displaced and facing catastrophic hunger conditions. There is growing evidence of atrocities against civilians.
“The package announced today will help save lives. We have not forgotten the war in Sudan – nor must the world. The urgent priority is to end the violence.”
Whilst in Chad, Minister Mitchell met with the President of the Transition, Mahamat Deby and Prime Minister Masra to underline UK support for peaceful, transparent and inclusive elections. They also discussed how the UK and Chad could work together towards peace in Sudan.
The Royal Air Force airdropped over 10 tonnes of food supplies into Gaza for the first time yesterday (Monday 25 March 2024), as part of international efforts to provide life-saving assistance to civilians.
The aid consists of water, rice, cooking oil, flour, tinned goods and baby formula.
The Defence Secretary authorised the airdrop following an assessed reduction in threat to the military mission and risk to civilians.
An RAF A400M flew from Amman, Jordan to airdrop this aid along the northern coastline of Gaza, as part of the Jordanian-led international aid mission. UK personnel worked closely with the Royal Jordanian Air Force to plan and conduct this mission.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK has already tripled our aid budget to Gaza, but we want to go further in order to reduce human suffering. Today’s airdrop has provided a further way to deliver humanitarian support and I thank the RAF personnel involved in this essential mission, as well as our Jordanian partners for their leadership.
“The hell that was unleashed by the October 7th Hamas attack has led to wide-scale innocent loss of life. The UK’s goal is to use every route possible to deliver life-saving aid, whether that is by road, air or new routes via the sea.
“We also continue to call on Israel to provide port access and open more land crossings in order to increase incoming aid deliveries to Gaza.”
The A400M is a highly capable tactical and strategic airlift platform and today’s airdrop was its first ever mission delivering humanitarian aid by parachute. Both RAF and British Army personnel participated in the mission. The drop zones were surveyed before and during the airdrop to ensure aid was delivered directly to civilians.
This airdrop is part of ongoing UK efforts to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza and follows recent land deliveries of 2,000 tonnes of UK food aid to feed more than 275,000 people and thousands of UK-funded blankets, tents and other relief items, as well as the establishment of a full UK-funded field hospital in Gaza run by British charity UK-Med.
The UK remains committed to ensuring aid reaches those who need it most, as Palestinians continue to face a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The UK has previously supported international airdrops, providing around 600 parachutes at the request of Jordan and Bahrain and supplying critical aid for a Jordanian airdrop to Tal Al-Hawa Hospital in northern Gaza.
Between October and November 2023, the RAF also delivered aid and humanitarian supplies to Egypt for distribution by the Egyptian Red Crescent and UNRWA.
The UK continues to work with allies, including Cyprus, the United States, European Union and United Arab Emirates, to open a direct maritime corridor to Gaza.
UK defence planning teams are deployed in the United States and Cyprus to support this international effort and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is prepositioning aid in Cyprus.
The UK Hydrographic Office has also shared analysis of the Gazan shore with US planners to help establish a temporary aid pier. In January, the UK worked with Cypriot partners to pre-screen 87 tonnes of aid that was delivered by Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Lyme Bay to the Egyptian Red Cross for the people of Gaza.
The UK is also focused on ensuring more aid can enter Gaza by land, working closely with Jordan who have been instrumental in facilitating the UK’s humanitarian response. Last week, more than 2,000 tonnes of food aid was distributed by the World Food Programme on the ground. This adds to the 150 tonnes of UK-funded relief items, including blankets and tents, which arrived earlier this month, distributed by UNICEF.
Alongside the latest deliveries of aid, the UK has announced a further £10 million in aid funding for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), bringing the total spend to over £100 million this financial year. This funding will support UN agencies on the ground to deliver lifesaving aid and will also provide core relief items, such as tents, for the most vulnerable.
UK funding to World Food Programme supports major aid delivery in Gaza via Jordanian land corridor
The UK’s largest delivery of aid to Gaza has crossed the border and is being distributed by the United Nations to families in need, the Foreign Secretary has confirmed.
More than 2,000 tonnes of food aid, funded by the government, is being distributed by the World Food Programme (WFP) on the ground.
This adds to the 150 tonnes of UK funded relief items including blankets and tents, which arrived last Wednesday 13 March, and will be distributed by UNICEF. A full UK field hospital run by UK-Med has also arrived in Gaza and is now operational and providing life-saving care.
The delivery includes fortified wheat flour for use in bakeries, hot meals and well as Ready To Eat (RTE) food parcels. The food parcels will be used to feed more than 275,000 people in Gaza. Each food parcel is designed for family of five and consists of canned vegetables, meat and fish, and date bars. The parcel can meet half of the daily calorie needs of the family for 15 days.
This comes in the week that a report from Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that famine is imminent in the northern Gaza Strip and the south faces a risk of famine if conditions continue to worsen.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “It’s crucial that we keep the flow of aid moving into Gaza to end the suffering, and that’s why this latest delivery of aid by WFP is so vitally important.
“The IPC’s report warns of imminent famine. We need sustained humanitarian access by road to get more aid in. We continue to push Israel to allow more crossings to open and for longer, and for healthcare, water and sanitation to be restored.”
Since the opening of the corridor in December 2023, the Government of Jordan, with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, has worked to ensure the passage of almost 600 trucks of humanitarian assistance into Gaza carrying 8,000 tons of relief and food items.
Humanitarian assistance from 10 different international aid agencies – including from UK partners WFP and UNICEF – has reached Gaza.
The latest delivery was again facilitated by Jordan, who have been instrumental in supporting the UK’s humanitarian response.
The UK is committed to ensuring aid reaches those who need it most, as Palestinians continue to face a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary has been clear that Israel must increase capacity to safely distribute aid within Gaza.
This includes opening a land crossing in the north and issuing more visas to UN staff who are capable of delivering aid when it arrives in Gaza.
UNRWA: Scotland’s External Affairs Secretary calls for Gaza aid barriers to be removed
Holyrood’s External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson has urged the UK Government to reverse its decision to suspend aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), given the continuing deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Writing to the Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, Mr Robertson said he could not “overstate how crucial this decision is, for the very survival of starving children, women and men in Gaza”, given that “UNRWA remains the only organisation with the capacity to distribute [aid] at the scale required throughout the territory”.
He commended the UK Government’s decision to provide £60 million additional funding for Palestinian civilians, including for UNRWA in November and said it was “imperative to the survival of the agency and the irreplaceable function that it provides, that this commitment is fulfilled”.
Mr Robertson also noted the European Commission’s announcement on 1 March that it will proceed to paying €50 million to UNRWA, “based on the swift action taken by UNRWA to immediately dismiss the implicated staff members and to launch an independent investigation”.
Angus Robertson’sletter reads:
Dear Andrew,
I am writing to express my heightened concern for the continuing deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and in particular regarding the suspension of aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) by the UK Government. Given the dependence on UNRWA of 2.2 million people in Gaza, including children who are now dying of starvation, dehydration and infectious disease, I implore you to reverse this decision.
I share the concerns about the serious allegations that a number of UNRWA staff were involved in the abhorrent attacks of 7 October on Israel. However, I have been reassured that UNRWA is taking the necessary action to investigate these allegations and to mitigate against such risks in the future.
I note that the European Commission announced on 1 March that it will proceed to paying €50 million to UNRWA and increase its emergency support for Palestine by €68 million in 2024. The Commission stated that it took this decision based on the swift action taken by UNRWA to immediately dismiss the implicated staff members and to launch an independent investigation. UNRWA has provided additional assurances that it will facilitate a further review and audit of the Agency by EU appointed external experts and that it will strengthen its department of internal investigations and the governance surrounding it.
I commend the UK Government’s decision to provide £60 million additional funding for Palestinian civilians, including for UNRWA in November. It is imperative to the survival of the agency and the irreplaceable function that it provides, that this commitment is fulfilled and that UNRWA has the necessary predictability of funding for the next financial year.
I also ask you to use your influence to ensure that the barriers to aid getting into and distributed throughout Gaza, which are being imposed in contravention of international law, are removed. I note that the UK and international partners are exploring the activation of a maritime corridor for aid delivery.
When increased levels of aid finally start to enter the Gaza strip, UNRWA remains the only organisation with the capacity to distribute it at the scale required throughout the territory. They must be able to fulfil this critical function.
I cannot overstate how crucial this decision is, for the very survival of starving children, women and men in Gaza.
ANGUS ROBERTSON
As of 11 March 2024, the European Commission, Canada and Sweden have confirmed they will resume aid funding to the UNRWA.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns, says she is “deeply concerned” about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, following a visit to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and a meeting with President el-Sisi.
During a visit to Egypt, the Foreign Affairs Committee investigated conditions in Al Arish, on Egypt’s border with Gaza. The city in North Sinai is the organising point for all aid entering Gaza via the heavily controlled Rafah crossing, the only point of transit between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
In Al Arish, MPs visited an Egyptian Red Crescent Society warehouse, where they spoke with local volunteers about the serious difficulties distributing aid to Gaza. They also met with patients evacuated from Gaza and medics at the Al Arish General Hospital, and with officials from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other humanitarian agencies such as UNICEF.
MPs also spent time in Cairo, where in addition to the President they met with senior Egyptian government representatives including Assistant Foreign Minister for Europe Khaled Emara and Assistant Minister for Arab Affairs Mohamed El Badri. They also met with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, and Egyptian civil society leaders and human rights activists.
The Committee also conducted meetings in Saudi Arabia, including with the Minister of Commerce Majid Al Qassabi; Head of Policy Planning in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rayed Krimly; members of the Shura Council; President of the Human Rights Commission Hala Al Tawaijri and officials from the US Embassy in Saudi capital Riyadh.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns MP, said: “We’ve just returned from the aid staging location in Egypt, where thousands of trucks are sat waiting to deliver aid.
“Egypt is playing an important role in the current crisis as a mediator between Israel and Hamas towards a truce and enabling the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. We also held important discussions with counterparts regarding crises such as Sudan, Yemen and beyond.
“I am deeply concerned about the situation Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee saw at Egypt’s border with Gaza. We saw hundreds upon hundreds of trucks sitting in Al Arish, unable to deliver their goods to those so desperately in need of the lifesaving aid they carry due to insufficient opening hours of the crossing, inconsistent restrictions on what items can enter Gaza, and a lack of de-confliction to protect humanitarian operations.
“We also saw tonnes of goods that had been rejected. Last month there was almost a week where no trucks entered Gaza with aid and 17,000 children are now unaccompanied due to being separated from their families or being orphaned.
“Saudi Arabia is an important and influential power broker in the Middle East, with a key role to play in maintaining stability in the region.
“It was productive to discuss with interlocutors the crisis in Gaza, how to bring a long-term resolution to the conflict, and to discuss geopolitical priorities such as Yemen and beyond.”
