Beyza Binnur Dönmez
21 January 2025•Update: 22 January 2025
GENEVA
The international community must scale up humanitarian aid to Gaza to support the ceasefire and meet the overwhelming needs of millions, the under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Tuesday.
Recalling the recent deployment of 600 aid trucks on the first day and 900 trucks, including 300 to northern Gaza, on Monday, Tom Fletcher told a panel on Gaza at the World Economic Forum in Davos that there will be "more today," adding his humanitarian coordinator is "heading into Gaza today."
"The key priority for us on the humanitarian side now is to get a huge surge of aid into Gaza, partly to support the ceasefire process because it's dependent on this step-by-step, very complex approach," he said.
He called for immediate funding, saying the "money will run out" eventually, and urged for the protection of aid workers, and innovative approaches to humanitarian relief.
"We’ve got to a breaking point in aid delivery," he said. "Convoys were being looted. We lost 79 out of 80 trucks in one convoy, and the community organizers who went in with us were then taken out by Israeli drones."
"And now the ceasefire opens up this window, and we've got to coordinate. We've got to really show we can deliver at that massive scale," Fletcher said.
Describing Gaza as "a laboratory of war," he underscored the need to transform it into a "laboratory of humanitarian support."
He said one key initiative being launched is cash support, a program aimed at reaching 1 million Palestinian families, particularly women-headed households, empowering them to make decisions about how to spend the funds.
On the rebuilding process, Fletcher estimated an initial appeal of $3-4 billion is needed to save lives during the critical ceasefire period of 42 days. However, he anticipated this figure would rise as assessments on the ground reveal the full extent of the damage.
"Rebuilding, reconstruction ... will take a huge regional approach," he said, calling for partnerships beyond governments and international organizations to include civil society and businesses.
Highlighting the risks faced by aid workers, he also urged member states to ensure the safety of humanitarian operations. "Last year was the deadliest year on record for humanitarians, largely due to Gaza. Those with influence have to start saying stop shooting at UN convoys."
