UNRWA: Humanitarian aid is not enough

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-23-2009 09:19

The United Nations has called for Gaza border crossings to be opened for more than just humanitarian aid, and eventually for normal economic transport.

The deputy head of the UN Relief and Works Agency says the area can't simply live on humanitarian assistance.

A Palestinian resident with canisters full of water in Gaza City on January 10.(AFP/File/Mahmud Hams)

Filippo Grandi also took issue with Israel's assurance that humanitarian aid will be allowed to enter Gaza.

Grandi says "the entire regime of crossings" needs to be "put back in place again in a predictable, stable manner" to help resolve problems in the long term.

The agency will need 350 million US dollars for recovery efforts in Gaza.

These will focus on returning people to their homes, repairing and replacing buildings and reopening schools and health care centres. The agency currently has received about a third of that money in donations.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei