The United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing $15 million in additional humanitarian assistance to vulnerable Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, in response to growing food insecurity in following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine and the resulting global supply chain disruptions have led to higher food prices, deterioration of food security for vulnerable populations and increased costs of functioning of humanitarian organizations in the West Bank and Gaza. This additional funding, provided through the United Nations World Food Program and two international non-governmental organizations, will support electronic food vouchers, multi-purpose cash assistance and emergency livelihood support, helping more than 210,000 food-insecure Palestinians, mainly in Gaza, to meet their homes. food needs in the coming months.
To date, in fiscal year 2022, the United States has provided more than $34 million in humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations in the West Bank and Gaza, including more than $24 million from USAID. This additional USAID funding is part of the $2 billion in USAID humanitarian assistance announced by President Joe Biden on June 27 to address the global food security impacts of Russia’s war on Ukraine. With this funding, USAID is addressing the most severe impacts of the global food security crisis through direct food assistance and related health, nutrition, protection, and water services, sanitation and hygiene in countries with high levels of acute food insecurity, dependence on and imports from Ukraine, and vulnerability to price shocks. This humanitarian assistance is in addition to USAID economic and development assistance of nearly $100 million in the prior fiscal year, and approximately $125 million to be provided this fiscal year to the West Bank and Gaza.
For the latest updates on USAID humanitarian assistance in the West Bank and Gaza, go here.
