Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, today welcomed the Government’s announcement of a further £20 million to help rebuild Gaza and to provide humanitarian assistance. Simon said the extra funding would be crucial to help provide food, water, shelter and medical supplies for ordinary Palestinians.

He said: “People in Rochdale have been appalled by the violence and suffering they have witnessed on their TV screens during the last three weeks. It is vital that the ceasefire holds, so that the UN can use this latest funding from the British Government. Fuel is desperately needed for power stations so that hospitals can function again, peoples homes can be heated and lit, and access to safe water can be re-established.”

International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander, said: "An enduring ceasefire is crucial to allow us to get vital aid in to thousands of people who desperately need it. The humanitarian situation will be dire for some time to come. UN and non-governmental aid agencies are doing heroic work under extremely difficult conditions and we want to support their efforts further. This additional funding will help the United Nations, aid agencies and other humanitarian organisations working in Gaza to rebuild the lives of 1.4 million people who have suffered in the conflict."

The additional £20 million contribution will be used to allocate funds to emerging humanitarian priorities, making them available to UN agencies and non-governmental organisations working in Gaza.

Notes:

The £20m in humanitarian assistance to Gaza is in addition to the £6.8 million announced on 31 December. This supports the UK Department for International Development’s (DFID) humanitarian strategy to address humanitarian needs in Gaza. This brings the total UK response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to nearly £27 million this year which is in addition to the UK’s pledge to provide up to £243 million in aid to the Palestinian people made in Paris in 2007.

The Department for International Development Press Office on: 0207 023 0533. For more information, please contact Simon on the above numbers.