ASTANA – In response to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Kazakhstan provided $1 million in humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov announced at a Nov. 6 briefing.
Photo credit: The Press Democrat/Hatem Ali.
This action follows President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s decision voiced at the 10th summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
The Kazakh government allocated funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This organization has been providing emergency and other forms of assistance to the Palestinian people for seven decades.
Humanitarian activities are a crucial area of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, Smadiyarov said, reiterating the country’s commitment to promoting a peaceful approach and principles of justice, as well as supporting states in difficult humanitarian situations.
The armed conflict between Hamas and Israel, which began on Oct. 7, aggravated the already dire conditions in the Middle East and caused a severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
As of today, this conflict has killed around 10,000 people and injured over 20,000, with two-thirds of the victims being women and children.
According to the UNRWA, the population of the Gaza Strip is in a critical situation, with over two million people in need of food assistance.
The Gulf Cooperation Council member states, Canada, China, the European Union countries, Japan, Russia, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, and others also pledged financial and material humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people affected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
