'Children are dying' - Ireland to provide €42 million in assistance to the people of Palestine

Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has announced that Ireland will provide €42 million in assistance to the people of Palestine in 2026, including €20 million in core funding to support the work of UNRWA in providing vital services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank, and across the region.

This funding for the Palestinian people represents an increase from 2025, when a total of €36 million was provided. In addition to €20 million to UNRWA, today’s announcement also includes €2 million to support the work of the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies. The remaining funds will be allocated throughout 2026 in response to needs.

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Minister McEntee made the announcement while visiting the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza while undertaking a visit to the region. Minister McEntee arrived in Egypt on Monday and will tomorrow (Wednesday) visit Jordan, where she will take part in a series of political engagements as well as seeing the work of partner organisations working with Palestinian and Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan.

Minister McEntee said:

“The humanitarian and human rights situation across Gaza and the West Bank remains incredibly stark. This funding from Ireland will help to provide food, shelter, water, sanitation, health and education for people across Palestine. It will be primarily delivered through our UN partners, particularly UNRWA.

“While there have been some improvements in the supply of aid into Gaza since the ceasefire, the levels of need are still enormous. Children are dying from malnutrition, while hundreds of thousands of people are living in tents or damaged buildings at risk of collapse. Overcrowding, poor weather conditions and a lack of access to clean water mean the threat of disease outbreak is very high.

“In the West Bank, house demolitions, military incursions, settler violence and restrictions on movement are all resulting in unacceptable risks and challenges to daily life. The situation in the West Bank is critical and requires an urgent political and humanitarian response.

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“The funding announced today demonstrates Ireland’s continued support for the people of Palestine and our commitment to supporting UN partners providing vital aid and assistance. I am particularly pleased to announce a significant funding package for UNRWA. Ireland’s support for UNRWA remains unwavering and this announcement is a demonstration of our support for the UN system at a challenging time.

“In the face of enormous outside pressure, UNRWA continues to provide a life-line to Palestinians not just in Gaza and the West Bank but across the region. UNRWA must be central to any effort to respond to the urgent needs of the Palestinian people.

“I reiterate my condemnation, made with six fellow European Foreign Ministers, of Israel’s legislation to cut water, electricity and communications to UNRWA facilities. UNRWA’s operations must be facilitated in line with the findings of the International Court of Justice.”

Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, said today’s announcement demonstrated Ireland’s ongoing commitment to the people of Palestine:

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“Today’s funding will bring Ireland’s support to the people in Palestine since January 2023 to €144 million by end 2026. This funding is helping to provide basic services that people in Gaza and the West Bank are being denied through conflict and violations of their human rights.

“The humanitarian crisis facing people in Gaza requires an urgent and ongoing response, while the situation in the West Bank continues to worsen. Through our support for UNRWA and the wider UN system, Ireland will fund vital services, including healthcare and education, for the Palestinian people. It is vital that other international donors step-up and provide support that is so desperately needed.”