Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. The UN reports that unemployment is at 45 percent, with youth unemployment at over 60 percent. Some 46 percent of the population live below the US$5.50 poverty line and an estimated 60 percent of households are food insecure. The health service is severely overburdened and reliable access to clean water and electricity remains challenging.

DFID will provide £16m in humanitarian assistance to Gaza in 2019/20. This is supporting the health system, including improved trauma care, and contributing to emergency food aid for around 1.2 million vulnerable people. To help address the underlying causes of the humanitarian situation we are investing to build the capacity of Gaza’s water and energy services and to address barriers to trade. Ultimately, Gaza’s immense challenges can only be resolved with a political solution that delivers peace, stability and the easing of movement and access restrictions.