UN appeals for $95m for urgent Palestinian aid

The United Nations has appealed for $95m to help Palestinians over the next three months in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, after 11 days of the worst fighting between Israel and Palestinians in years.

Lynn Hastings, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said the UN was currently looking at immediate aid needs and would then assess the longer term damage and how much might be needed for reconstruction.

She said the appeal launched on Thursday was to address “very immediate needs,” such as food, health, medicine, medical supplies, quick repairs to infrastructure and cash assistance. On top of the appeal, the UN has also already released $22.5m from other funds to help meet needs.

Palestinian officials put reconstruction costs at tens of millions of dollars in Gaza, where health authorities said at least 254 people were killed during the 11 days of fightin

Medics said rocket fire and guided missile attacks from Palestinian groups such as Hamas killed 13 people in Israel. A truce was reached on Friday.