Aid workers need a ‘communication centre’, Norwegian Refugee Council says
Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, says his agency in Gaza needs a “real communication centre” after the death of a Belgian aid worker in Rafah.
“Gaza [holds] the world record in killed children, women – they’re all innocent – in killed aid workers, nurses, doctors, teachers. It’s been indiscriminate now for months, many months,” Egeland told Al Jazeera.
He added that his agency has adapted the way aid workers deliver support in Gaza. They now only go in the daytime and have concentrated much of their work in the south.
“Of course, it’s a dilemma for humanitarian work that where and when people need us the most, the dangers are the greatest,” Egeland said. “So our message has been to the Israelis and the Americans and the others who are supporting them that we need a real communication centre, not just a passive notification of movements. We need communication where they actively tell us, ‘Yes, this [route] is safe.'”
EU announces $73m in extra aid to Gaza
The European Union says the new aid package will be channelled through local partners on the ground and focus on food deliveries, clean water, sanitation and shelters.
“In light of the continued deterioration of the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the steady rise of needs on the ground, the (European) Commission is stepping up its funding to support Palestinians affected by the ongoing war,” a statement from the bloc said.
“This support brings total EU humanitarian assistance to 193 million euros for Palestinians in need inside Gaza and across the region in 2024.”
