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Middle East conflict

Netherlands pledges to allocate 750,000 euros in emergency aid to Gaza

The region is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster

© EPA/ITAR-TASS

THE HAGUE, August 03 /ITAR-TASS/. Lilianne Ploumen, the Dutch minister for foreign trade and development cooperation, said late on Saturday the Dutch government had pledged to allocate 750,000 euros in emergency aid to the people of Gaza.

Ploumen said the war in Gaza was inflicting terrible suffering on civilians, including children who had got nothing to do with the conflict.

According to the minister, more than 300,000 people have lost their homes in Gaza while about 6,000 have been wounded. The region is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster.

It is not the first time that the Netherlands is making a considerable contribution to improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza but more help (at least 14.5 million euro) is needed to alleviate the suffering of the local population. Only 16% of that sum has been allocated so far. Lilianne Ploumen called on other countries to follow her country’s example.

The Netherlands has already transferred 500,000 euros to the International Committee of the Red Cross and has allocated another 1.5 million euros via the U.N. agencies.

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