ROME: The United Nations World Food Programme urged the international community and “all donors” Thursday to help feed millions of Gazans and rebuild the war-ravaged area.
The UN agency said it had provided more than 15,000 tonnes of food since a fragile January 19 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, feeding more than 525,000 people, but that much more needed to be done.
Read more: As rainstorm and Trump blow through Gaza, residents say they will never leave
“We call on the international community and all donors to continue supporting WFP’s life-saving assistance at this pivotal moment,” said Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau following a visit.
“The scale of the needs is enormous and progress must be maintained. The ceasefire must hold,” he said in a statement.
“In critical sectors beyond food — water, sanitation, shelter, even getting children back into school — we need to work together,” he said, insisting that “this requires funding.”
Helping Gazans become self-sufficient could be through re-establishing commercial markets and local food systems, such as farming and fishing, the agency said.
Read more: Trump envoy, Steve Witkoff’s remarks may be closest admission of Israel’s atrocities
Skau’s visit to Gaza came as Israel and Hamas resumed negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which has paused 15 months of relentless fighting and bombing following Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023 attack.