September 17, 2024

Greatest risk of famine in Gaza has not yet arrived, JHCO Secretary General says, 3rd, final add


“We are seriously considering setting up temporary camps to shelter families who have lost their homes.

These camps will be equipped with tents, health facilities and water distribution stations. Additionally, we aim to provide food, blankets and essential clothing to ensure that living conditions in the camps are as acceptable as possible,” Shebli said.

He noted that Jordan has made significant efforts to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the sector since the crisis began. Early on, Jordan sent planes loaded with relief, food, and medical supplies from the Egyptian city of Al Arish, followed by airdrops led by His Majesty the King when various areas of Gaza, particularly the north, faced the threat of famine and death before Jordan could deliver aid through land convoys.

He pointed out that the number of trucks sent reached 1,865 within Jordanian land convoys and others in partnership with countries and international organisations. The number of airdrops reached 358, including 257 in collabora
tion with friendly and brotherly countries.

He added, “We sent 53 planes to Al Arish, including 40 in partnership with relief organisations. Jordan was able to provide direct aid to Gaza residents in cooperation with partner organisations inside the sector, benefitting about 717,000 Gazans. The total amount of aid that reached Gaza through Jordan was about 31,000 tonnes, varying between food, relief, medical and health supplies.

From the beginning of the war, Shebli underscored, Jordan announced support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and provided financial assistance of $3 million to sustain its operations. Under the directives of His Majesty the King, Jordan strengthened medical staff and supplies at the field hospital in Tel Al Hawa, established in northern Gaza in 2009, and ordered the establishment of another hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. The two hospitals have received tens of thousands of citizens in Gaza. During the peak of the war, medical su
pplies were delivered through airdrops to enable them to perform their work and provide the necessary services.

Shebli said that His Majesty the King has been keen in all his movements and meetings with world leaders to emphasise the need to deliver aid to the people of Gaza without interruption and sufficiently and highlight the humanitarian tragedy faced by innocent people in the sector.

As part of his efforts, His Majesty organised an emergency international meeting in Amman at the end of November 2023 to coordinate the humanitarian response in Gaza, attended by leaders of international organisations, UN agencies, and representatives from Arab and foreign countries to identify urgent needs, address challenges, and prevent duplication of efforts. Today, through the conference at the Dead Sea, he seeks once again to prevent the exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Shebli concluded.

Source: Jordan News Agency