UN to dispense cash aid to impoverished families in besieged Gaza Strip: UN Mideast envoy

United Nations on Sunday announced that it will begin dispensing cash aid to poor and famished families in the besieged Gaza Strip as the humanitarian crisis looms from Israel’s infighting in May with Hamas, and during the conflict, the neighbourhoods were battered with massive destruction to property. United Nations (UN) had earlier last month signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Qatar to distribute cash grants to needy families in the Gaza Strip. On September 12, the UN Middle East envoy said that under the revised funding scheme which is coordinated by Qatar and the UN and is supported by Israel, the UN will distribute cash funds to needy families by setting up at least 700 distribution points throughout the Gaza Strip.

“Tomorrow, some vulnerable families in Gaza, out of the nearly 100,000 beneficiaries, will begin to receive their aid as part of the UN’s Humanitarian Cash Assistance programme, supported by the State of Qatar,” the United Nations office tasked with handling Middle East peace efforts tweeted.

Delegate of the United States welcomed the agreement between the UN and Qatar to resume aid delivery to Gaza as it called on the international community to facilitate regular predictable access to the territory with financial help and supply. US committed $136 million towards the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for delivering humanitarian relief. “Both sides must refrain from actions and rhetoric that inflame tensions, such as evictions and compensating individuals who are in prison for acts of terrorism,” the delegation had earlier stressed calling for political dialogue.

Qatari Ambassador to Palestine Mohammed al-Emadi had informed in a press statement that he signed the MoU with Tor Wennesland, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. "The cash aid will be disbursed to the beneficiaries through the UN World Food Program (WFP), where about 100,000 needy families in the Gaza Strip will receive this aid per month, at the cost of 100 U.S. dollars per family in cash," al-Emadi said.

Cash aid from Qatar 'vital'

The cash aid from Qatar is was labelled as ‘vital’ for the impoverished Palestinians by the Israeli agencies, which they said, was blockaded by Israel and Egypt for over several years. They cited blockade as Israel’s attempt to limit Gaza’s Hamas terrorist funding. Israel Times reported that that approximately $30 million cash funding was delivered in suitcases to Gaza via the Israeli-controlled crossing in order to uphold the ceasefire with Hamas. However, the 11-day armed conflict in May prompted Israel to block those payments in a clampdown on Gaza Strip. A new deal was reached between Qatar and the UN wherein the Arab nation agreed to fund the UN bank account in New York each month to direct it as humanitarian help to Gaza.