UK offers USD 1.3 mln in medical aid for evacuees from Gaza

The United Kingdom announced offering USD 1.3 million aid package to the Egyptian Ministry of Health to help provide life-saving treatment for the medically evacuated civilians from the Gaza Strip. "The worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to bring devastation to many lives, with many requiring life-saving support over the border in Egypt," Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said in a press statement issued by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Wednesday. "That's why, alongside our Egyptian partners, we are funding life-saving treatments and support for medically evacuated civilians from Gaza," he explained. Delivered through the World Health Organization (WHO) in Egypt, the UK funding will provide vital medical supplies and medications, including chemotherapy and rehabilitative equipment, to those in need. It will also strengthen capacity to care for patients from Gaza with chronic diseases. Minister Falconer started a two day visit to Egypt Tuesday. On Wednesday, he visited t he city of Al-Arish where he met with the North Sinai Governor to discuss aid flows into Gaza. He also visited the Egyptian Red Crescent's warehouse and Al-Arish General Hospital to see how UK funding to WHO Egypt will be used. "At Al Arish, I saw that many tonnes of lifesaving aid continue to be denied entry into Gaza by Israel. As winter approaches, Israel can and must do more to ensure aid flows freely into Gaza and to facilitate the UN and humanitarian agencies to carry out their work safely," he said. Falconer also met with Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty where he thanked Egypt for its ongoing role in getting aid into Gaza and agreed the need to continue working together for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon. "As a key regional partner, Egypt plays a central role alongside the UK in working for stability and security across the Middle East and driving forward de-escalation efforts in both Gaza and Lebanon," he pointed out. As Egypt is a regional leader in ensuring sustainable food s ecurity for the Middle East and Africa, the Minister also agreed a landmark UK-Egypt Memorandum of Understanding on Food Security with Rania Al Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation and Alaa Farouk. The agreement includes technical assistance to advance sustainable agribusiness practice and increase crop yield in Egypt. "I signed a new UK-Egypt Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable food security, launching a new partnership between our two countries to tackle a critical global challenge," Falconer stated. Source: Kuwait News Agency