Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial assistance they pledged at the recent Cairo conference to the rebuilding of Gaza; whether such resources will be passed to the Palestinian Authority directly or through a third party; and when they expect to release the first tranche of resources.

The UK pledged £20 million at the conference for Gaza reconstruction. These funds will be channelled through both the Palestinian Authority (via a Trust Fund administered by the World Bank), and through implementing partners with an established presence in Gaza, including UN agencies. The first tranche of resources will be released rapidly, to fund the removal of unexploded ordnance, facilities to offer reconstructive surgery, and the mechanism to monitor the import of construction materials.