UN, Palestinians appeal for $350mn in humanitarian relief after funding cuts

The UN and the Palestinian Authority on Monday appealed for $350 million in humanitarian relief for Palestinians next year. The officials say they need more but had to be realistic in the face of “record-low” funding, Reuters reported. The 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan outlined 203 projects to be carried out by 88 different groups, including UN agencies and non-governmental organizations. The plan prioritized 1.4 million Palestinians most in need of food, healthcare, shelter, water and sanitation, according to Jamie McGoldrick, the UN humanitarian coordinator in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem. “Humanitarian actors are facing unprecedented challenges, including record-low funding and a rise in attacks to delegitimize humanitarian action,” he said ahead of the appeal’s launch in Ramallah.