Jordan set to host international conference on Gaza aid

By Nathan Morley

Jordan is set to host an emergency international conference on the urgent humanitarian response to the crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The conference will be held on Tuesday near the Dead Sea and will be co-hosted with the United Nations, and Egypt.

The meeting aims to identify ways to bolster the international community’s response to the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, and commitment for a collective coordinated response to address the situation.
 

Earlier, referring to the meeting, the Holy Father encouraged the international community to act urgently to come to the aid of the people of Gaza, saying humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach those who need it.

Supplying the Gaza strip

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Air Force has carried out several airdrops of aid over the north of the Gaza Strip. 

Getting supplies into the beleaguered enclave has faced mounting challenges since the closure of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, an important entry point for aid lorries into the strip.

On Friday, UNICEF reported that the ongoing conflict and restrictions in Gaza were stopping families from meeting their children’s food needs. According to the organization, nine of every ten children there are experiencing severe food poverty. 

The lethal conflict between Israel and Hamas has raged for eight months. It erupted in October last year after Israel launched a massive offensive in Gaza after Hamas militants stormed Israel in a surprise attack, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 captive.