It Takes IDR 18 Trillion To Meet The Needs Of Gazans And The West Bank

Badminton UNICEF/Eyad El Baba/PHOTO via news.un.org

JAKARTA - The United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Affairs Office on Friday said the amount of funds needed to meet the 2.7 million occupations of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank was estimated at 1.2 billion US dollars (around Rp. 18.9 trillion).

The office spokesman, Jens Laerke, said at a UN press conference in Geneva the agency would update the initial petition submitted on Monday (6/11).

He said the initial request, which was launched on October 12, asked for USD 294 million (approximately IDR 4.6 trillion) to support nearly 1.3 million people.

Reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Saturday, November 4, Laerke said that so far only 25 percent of the initial requests have received funds.

"Regarding the displaced people, their number swelled to 1.5 million people in Gaza," he said.

This number includes 700 thousand people displaced in 149 UNRWA facilities (UN agencies that handle aid for Palestinian refugees), "EARning almost four times the capacity that can be accommodated," Laerke said.

"As an illustration, this means that in some places of refuge up to 240 people are in classrooms measuring 40 to 60 square meters," he said, citing the Khan Younis Training Center as an example.

Di mengatakan pusat latihan itu saat ini menampung 22.1 ribu orang yang mengungsi, " lebih dari 10 kali lipatnya."

The Israeli military has expanded its ground and airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, which have been hit by non-stop bombs since Hamas carried out a surprise attack on October 7.

More than 10,500 people have died since the conflict broke out. That number includes 9,061 Palestinians and more than 1,500 Israelis.

A total of 102 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies on Thursday (2/11) entered Gaza via the Rafah border, and is the largest convoy since aid deliveries resumed on October 21.

With the arrival of 102 vehicles, the total number of trucks entering Gaza is 374, according to the United Nations.

The fuel, which is urgently needed to operate life-saving equipment, is still prohibited from entry by Israeli authorities.