HASENE Relief Fund for Palestine Refugees and Civilians in the Gaza Strip donates EUR 1 million to UNRWA

Humanitarian aid organization, HASENE International, has donated one million euros to UNRWA in support of its emergency response for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This contribution will provide much needed emergency relief aid, including food and basic health care, to Palestinian civilians across the Gaza Strip.

In view of the unprecedented escalation in violence and humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip, HASENE International strongly urges the international community to provide emergency aid to those impacted by hostilities. Some 1.9 million people have been internally displaced, with vulnerable populations, mainly women, children and the elderly, being impacted most.

The present difficulties concerning electricity, gas, and water supply, alongside food shortages and insufficient sanitary amenities in overcrowded living spaces, have resulted in an exceedingly concerning scenario. These circumstances facilitate the heightened transmission of diseases and outbreaks, culminating in an urgent humanitarian crisis.

More than 16 years of blockade has caused a dramatic deterioration in the economic situation of the Gaza Strip. Prior to 7 October, more than 1.6 million people in Gaza were already in need of humanitarian aid, with an alarming 81.5 per cent of the population living in poverty.

"We are at a critical turning point and call on the international community to take immediate action. It is imperative to prevent the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe and forced displacement, while also leveraging all diplomatic avenues to secure lasting peace in the region. Only through the collective engagement of the global community and the active participation of civil society can we address this acute emergency and improve the situation. May all efforts for peace and humanity be crowned with success,” said the Chairman of Hasene International, Bekir Altaş.

Since 2020, Hasene has contributed towards UNRWA to support Palestine Refugees through health, sanitation, emergency food assistance and education interventions.

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Notes to Editors

Some 63 per cent of the people in the Gaza Strip are food insecure and depended on international assistance prior to the latest hostilities.

Background Information:

UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.

UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.

UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.

Your support is crucial to help us provide emergency aid
to displaced families in Gaza