Jordan’s conference mobilized int’l community to stop humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, EU says

Cairo: The European Union (EU) media officer for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Luis Bueno, said that the "Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza" conference hosted by Jordan on Tuesday, which saw a wide international and UN presence, was an important platform for discussion and dialogue among the international community. He said that the conference was an opportunity to share the important priorities required by the situation in Gaza, such as ensuring full humanitarian access to Gaza; protecting civilians and identifying early recovery mechanisms, pointing out that the conference mobilized the international community towards stopping the catastrophic repercussions of the Israeli war on Gaza. Bueno told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the conference comes at a very important time as the situation in Gaza requires intensifying relief and humanitarian efforts, stressing the EU's support and readiness to increase its support for the Jordan Corridor as a vital route to direct aid t o Gaza. He pointed out that the vast majority of the population of the Gaza Strip is completely dependent on humanitarian aid and despite all the efforts made by humanitarian actors over the past eight months, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Bueno expressed the EU's regret that the volume of aid allowed into Gaza has dropped to unacceptably low levels and is not commensurate with the urgent need to bring in as much humanitarian aid as possible, pointing out that aid is piling up at Gaza's borders and children are starving to death. Bueno added that the European Union was able to send more than 2,500 tons of humanitarian supplies through a humanitarian air bridge in coordination with member states to send humanitarian aid through the sea passage from Cyprus, stressing that there is no alternative to land crossings, which makes it imperative to reopen the Rafah crossing, Karem Abu Salem, and crossing points in northern Gaza as well as the Jordan corridor and any other available option to deliver hum anitarian aid to civilians throughout Gaza. Source: Jordan News Agency