USAID welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza. This ceasefire, which was a direct result of extensive U.S. diplomacy with our partners in the region, will begin the process of reuniting hostages with families that have been torn apart, and will begin to provide relief to the Palestinian civilians who have suffered immensely over the course of this brutal conflict.
As the ceasefire is implemented, USAID will continue to prioritize efforts to get life-saving humanitarian assistance to those impacted by this devastating war. More than 2.1 million Palestinian civilians require urgent assistance - including nearly 1.9 million who have been displaced. An immediate and sustained surge in humanitarian assistance across Gaza will be essential to prevent further hunger, sickness, and death.
The United States has provided nearly $1.2 billion in humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and neighboring countries since the start of the war. We are profoundly grateful to our humanitarian partners, who have taken on great personal risk throughout this conflict - the deadliest in history for aid workers - to alleviate suffering and save lives. Their work will continue - and we will seek to expand it significantly - thanks to the ceasefire deal. The U.S. government will work with the UN, the Government of Israel, and our partners in the region to improve conditions for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to support regular, safe, and facilitated movement for humanitarian actors. Addressing the criminal looting of relief supplies and the breakdown of law and order that has worsened an already dangerous and uncertain operating environment will also remain critically important.
This is a moment of enormous possibility, and as President Biden said, the United States is committed to making the most of it - by surging life-saving assistance to those in need throughout Gaza, and by working not just to end the war, but to build a just and enduring peace for the Palestinian and Israeli people.
