Ireland ‘wants to do more’ for people of Gaza, Varadkar says
By Cillian Sherlock, PA
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said Ireland “wants to do more” to support the people of Gaza, after previously announcing €13 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Palestinians.
Mr Varadkar is to attend the International Conference on Humanitarian Assistance to Gaza in Paris on Thursday.
The goal of the conference is to mobilise the main actors involved in the humanitarian response in Gaza – including states, donors, international organisations and NGOs – to take action to assist Palestinian civilians in the territory.
Mr Varadkar is seeking engagement with leaders from the region on how to assist Irish citizens wishing to leave Gaza safely, and will hear from aid agencies working in the territory.
Speaking ahead of the conference, he said: “The situation in Gaza is critical. We urgently need a humanitarian ceasefire and a significant scaling up of humanitarian access and supplies to get vital aid to people there.
“I thank president Macron for convening this important conference because decisive action is needed.
“Leaders will discuss how we can better respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza, particularly in terms of health, food, water, medicines and electricity.
“Ireland has already committed an additional €13 million to help the people of Gaza, and we want to do more.
“I will engage with leaders from Europe, the Middle East and further afield to see how Irish citizens wishing to leave Gaza can do so safely. I will also meet with agencies working in Gaza, including UNRWA and the Red Cross, to hear firsthand about the situation.”
Around 35-40 Irish passport holders remain in Gaza. As of Wednesday, they had been unable to secure passage out via Rafah.
Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand (8) is also feared to be in the hands of Hamas in Gaza as a hostage.
On Wednesday, Mr Varadkar told TDs that the Government has been given no indication its citizens are being prevented from leaving Gaza as a form of punishment for calling for a ceasefire.
The €13 million additional funding announced by the Government last month amounts to €10 million in additional core funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides essential services to 5.7 million Palestine refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
It also included an additional €3 million to the UN Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ (UN OCHA) Occupied Palestinian Territories Humanitarian Fund.
It brings Ireland’s financial support to the people of Palestine in 2023 to €29 million.