UN-sponsored meeting raises funds to aid Palestinians affected by latest crisis
4 October -- An international meeting hosted by the United Nations office in Gaza has raised some $1.6 million to address the emergency health needs of the Palestinians affected by the current crisis in the Middle East, a UN spokesman said today.
Held at the request of the Palestinian Minister of Health, Riyad el Zanon, the meeting was convened on Tuesday at the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed-Larsen. The meeting, which brought together donors, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Monetary Fund and other multilateral organizations, also launched a relief task force to meet the urgent health needs of the Palestinian population.
Addressing the participants, Mr. Roed-Larsen said the loss of life in the current crisis had been truly terrible and shocking to all. He conveyed Secretary-General Kofi Annan's instructions to him to do everything that he could to help the Palestinian people, and pledged his Office's assistance in providing an arena for coordination and political support for the relief efforts.
At the meeting, several donors - Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the United States -- made immediate pledges of assistance. Contributions were also made by the UN Development Programme, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross, among others.
The task force established by the participants will help coordinate the humanitarian response by identifying immediate priorities, mobilizing aid and facilitating the delivery of assistance. The group, known as the Humanitarian Task Force for Emergency Needs (HTFEN), will work closely with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and will be chaired by the Special Coordinator's Office.
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