Germany is providing 50 million euros in aid for the civilian population in Gaza
Germany will immediately release 50 million euros in additional aid to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, which is in a “catastrophic” humanitarian situation, German diplomacy chief Annalena Baerbock announced on Thursday during a visit to Jordan. “Our message is clear: it is us.” “We will not abandon innocent Palestinian mothers, fathers and children,” said the minister together with her Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi at a press conference in Amman, according to a statement from his ministry.
With this additional help, “we support international organizations such as the World Food Program, Unicef and especially Unrwa.” [agence de l’ONU pour les réfugiés palestiniens] so that the people in Gaza can be supplied with food,” said Baerbock. “We are preparing to send medical teams to Gaza,” she added.
Ms. Baerbock welcomed “the signals” that give hope for an “at least limited” opening of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip and called on all parties involved to “overcome the final obstacles” to achieve this. “We need places in Gaza where civilians, families and children can be treated in complete safety, that is, places with civilian infrastructure, hospitals and schools,” she added.
Jordan is the first stop on the German minister’s Middle East trip, who still has to visit Israel and Lebanon by Saturday. Ms. Baerbock had already visited Israel and Egypt last week.
Before her departure on Thursday, she reaffirmed Germany’s “unwavering solidarity” with Israel and condemned Hamas’s “perfidious calculation” to subject the Palestinian civilian population to death, hardship and suffering. She described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” and considered it “essential that international aid, food, water and medical supplies reach the residents of Gaza quickly and unhindered.”
On this trip she also wants to “discuss with everyone who has channels to Hamas about how the hostages can be freed.” During the massive attack on Israel on October 7th, several people with German nationality were kidnapped by Hamas.