Xinhua, United Nations :
Leaders of the UN and the Arab League Friday urged the international donors to honor their aid pledges for the Gaza Strip, while calling for expansion of reconstruction efforts.
In a statement issued here, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Nabil Elaraby, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, urgently appealed to donors to honor and disburse “as soon as possible” their financial commitments made at the October 2014 Cairo Conference for reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
“This support should also include funding for UN agencies that are carrying out vital operations in Gaza, in order to prevent a further deterioration in the already dire humanitarian situation,” the statement said.
The two leaders expressed their deep concern over the situation while noted that the progress made so far under the temporary Gaza reconstruction mechanism has to date enabled access to construction material for some 55,000 Gazan homeowners in support of shelter repairs.
“The pace of reconstruction in Gaza remains slow,” the statement said. “It is crucial now to expand the scope of reconstruction efforts thus far to bring hope to the people of Gaza and ensure stability, based on international responsibility in reconstruction and lifting the siege.”
They added that the operations of the mechanism are ready to be scaled up to facilitate the swift implementation of major large- scale projects.
Leaders of the UN and the Arab League Friday urged the international donors to honor their aid pledges for the Gaza Strip, while calling for expansion of reconstruction efforts.
In a statement issued here, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Nabil Elaraby, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, urgently appealed to donors to honor and disburse “as soon as possible” their financial commitments made at the October 2014 Cairo Conference for reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
“This support should also include funding for UN agencies that are carrying out vital operations in Gaza, in order to prevent a further deterioration in the already dire humanitarian situation,” the statement said.
The two leaders expressed their deep concern over the situation while noted that the progress made so far under the temporary Gaza reconstruction mechanism has to date enabled access to construction material for some 55,000 Gazan homeowners in support of shelter repairs.
“The pace of reconstruction in Gaza remains slow,” the statement said. “It is crucial now to expand the scope of reconstruction efforts thus far to bring hope to the people of Gaza and ensure stability, based on international responsibility in reconstruction and lifting the siege.”
They added that the operations of the mechanism are ready to be scaled up to facilitate the swift implementation of major large- scale projects.
