By Manal Abdel Fattah
British Ambassador to Egypt Gareth Bayley said: “As part of his regional tour, the Foreign Secretary travelled to Egypt to discuss the urgent need for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza”.
He added: “Egypt plays a key role in facilitating aid into Gaza and working towards an end to this crisis. It is critical that we enhance the scale and accessibility of aid to Gaza and, together with our Egyptian partners, we hope to achieve this.”
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 its existing annual budget to the 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 £30m 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.
