15 March 2024 – UNICEF Australia welcomes the Federal Government announcement to provide an additional $4 million to UNICEF to provide life-saving services in the Gaza Strip.
The funding commitment comes as Foreign Minister Penny Wong lifted Australia’s temporary pause on funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
The Australian government has now pledged a total of $15 million to UNICEF to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip since the escalation of violence on October 7, 2023.
Tony Stuart CEO of UNICEF Australia said, “The urgent need for humanitarian aid is paramount and I thank Senator Wong for her life-saving announcement today.
“Almost every child in Gaza has been exposed to deeply distressing events and trauma, after five months of widespread destruction, relentless attacks and severe shortages of essential necessities such as food, water and medicine,” Mr Stuart said.
“Since the 7 October attacks and ensuing escalation, tens of thousands of Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed and injured in the Gaza strip.
"The need for humanitarian aid and services is critical, and the funding for UNICEF announced today will support hundreds of thousands of children and families with life-saving supplies. Disease is rampant with 90 per cent of children aged under five affected by one or more infectious disease."
“The safety and protection of every child, through an immediate, long-lasting humanitarian ceasefire to end the killing and injuring of children, including the safe release of all hostages, must occur,” he said.
Despite challenges, UNICEF remains on the ground, prioritising the delivery of safe drinking water, medical supplies, support to health workers and providing nutritional supplements and vitamins to the children and families of Gaza.
In the first week of March, UNICEF has moved 25 truck loads into the Gaza Strip, including hygiene kits and sanitary pads for 15,000 people, blankets for 2,000 people, nutrition supplements for 2,000 babies, neonatal incubators, and has provided 75,000 litres of fuel to produce clean water for more than 1.3 million people, including more than 670,000 children, for drinking and domestic needs.