AA / London / Leila Nezirevic
The Swedish government said on Thursday that “more pressure” was needed on Israel amid the threat of starvation in the Gaza Strip.
The government has decided to allocate 12 million dollars to fight hunger in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, and the aid will be delivered through the World Food Program (WFP), Swedish Minister for International Cooperation for Development Johan Forsel said.
“In addition to providing funds, we emphasize improving humanitarian access, which is essential for WFP and other organizations to reach people in need,” Forcell said in a statement.
He added: “This is particularly true in Gaza, where we are actively pursuing the EU’s efforts, which I personally helped launch, to increase pressure on Israel.”
The minister assured that Sweden will do its part and help prevent negative events and prevent hunger.
Earlier this month, Sweden canceled aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and pledged an initial funding of $20 million to the UN agency.
Sweden, along with many other countries, stopped funding UNRWA following Israeli allegations that some of its members were involved in the October 7 attack.
Earlier this month, the European Commission announced it would provide 50 million euros ($54.7 million) to fund UNRWA.
Finland and Canada also announced renewed aid this month, citing the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza, 32,552 Palestinians have been killed and an estimated 74,980 others injured, according to the latest report released by the Palestinian Health Authority, amid massive destruction and shortages of basic necessities.
International organizations, including UN agencies, are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and increased access to humanitarian aid to address medical shortages, hunger, thirst and food shortages, hygiene issues that are the source of disease outbreaks in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this month, UNRWA said that “hunger is rampant everywhere” in Gaza.
Israel’s war has forced 85% of Gaza’s population to move inside the territory, amid acute shortages of food, drinking water and medicine, and 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been destroyed, damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations.
Israel is being prosecuted at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the crime of genocide. An order issued in January ordered Tel Aviv to cease acts of a genocidal nature and to take measures to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
*Translated from English by Murad Belhaj
Source: AA
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