Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris, has announced an emergency funding package of €2 million to support the World Food Programme (WFP) in delivering food to people in Gaza. This assistance comes as Gaza faces a worsening humanitarian crisis, with famine looming and significant challenges to aid delivery due to restrictions on humanitarian access.
Despite those obstacles, the WFP successfully delivered 4,000 tonnes of food to the region last week. The Irish government’s additional support is intended to help expand these life-saving operations. Harris emphasized the urgency of the situation, describing the deliberate denial of food to civilians, including children and babies, as incomprehensible.
He called on Israel to lift the barriers impeding food aid deliveries, noting that the WFP estimates a monthly requirement of 62,000 tonnes of food to avert famine. Without easing restrictions, he warned, the humanitarian crisis would worsen further.
Minister for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, echoed these concerns, condemning the deliberate withholding of food and reaffirming Ireland’s commitment to supporting the WFP, which is viewed as the most effective channel for delivering aid in Gaza.
