• Turkey imposes trade restrictions on Israel over Gaza war

    The new measures come a day after Turkey said Israel had blocked its attempt to airdrop aid to Gaza. "This decision will remain in place until Israel declares a ceasefire immediately and allows adequate and uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza," the trade ministry announced on social media.
  • India dispatches 38.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid for Gaza

    New Delhi, India--India on Sunday flew 38.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Egypt's Sinai region for Palestinian civilians from the embattled Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said. An Indian air force Boeing C-17 transport plane "carrying nearly 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material for...
  • UN chief exhorts end to ‘godawful nightmare’ in Gaza

    Antonio Guterres addressed a Cairo summit and pleaded for a "humanitarian ceasefire" in the war between Israel and Hamas fighters that has caused devastation in much of Gaza. He said the Palestinian enclave of 2.4 million people was living through a humanitarian catastrophe with thousands dead and more than a...
  • Aid trucks for residents enter Gaza from Egypt

    The first aid trucks arrived in the war-torn Gaza Strip from Egypt, AFP journalists said, bringing desperately needed humanitarian relief to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave under Israeli siege. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the group carried out the deadliest attack in the country's history on October 7.
  • Egypt to open Gaza crossing for up to 20 aid trucks: Joe Biden

    US president said the aid convoy would be allowed to go into Gaza from the Rafah crossing in a first batch of humanitarian aid. According to him, the shipment would likely not cross until Friday as the road at the crossing needed repairs. It became possible only after Egypt's president...
  • Iran says time running out for political solution in Gaza war

    TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran on Monday said time was running short to reach a political solution in the Israel-Gaza conflict, warning of the "possibility of expanding the scope of war and conflict to other fronts". Israel declared war on the Palestinian group Hamas a day after waves of its fighters broke...
  • Aid meant for Gaza stuck in Egypt as Rafah crossing is closed

    ISMAILIA, EGYPT - Convoys of humanitarian aid stacked up near Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, unable to enter the Palestinian enclave being bombarded by Israel, witnesses told AFP. The Rafah crossing -- the only passage in and out of the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel -- has...
  • Egypt receives humanitarian aid bound for Gaza

    Cairo, Egypt- The first shipment of humanitarian aid arrived in Egypt's Sinai on Thursday from Jordan, state-affiliated media reported, to be transported into Gaza, which Israel has been bombarding for days following a surprise Hamas attack. Israel's army has hammered Hamas with thousands of strikes ahead of what is widely expected...
  • Israel will not supply water, fuel to Gaza until hostages freed: minister

    Jerusalem--Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz vowed Thursday his country would not allow basic resources or humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas released the people it abducted during its surprise weekend onslaught. "Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no...
  • Arab League denounces Israel siege of Gaza Strip

    Demanding that aid be immediately allowed to go into the besieged enclave, Arab foreign minister condemned Israel's siege of Gaza in the wake of the shock attack by Palestinian militants on Israel. It has imposed a "complete siege" on the Gaza Strip, cutting off the water supply, food, electricity and...
  • Volunteers search for Afghan quake survivors as aid trickles in

    Kashkak, Afghanistan--Afghan villagers and volunteers on Monday helped dig for survivors of a series of earthquakes that killed more than 2,000 people, as aid began trickling into the devastated region. Volunteers in trucks packed with food, tents and blankets flocked to hard-to-reach areas 30 kilometres (19 miles) northwest of Herat city,...
  • Aid pours into flood-hit Libya as Derna death toll touches 11,300

    According to a United Nations report released on Sunday, the toll from Derna alone has risen to 11,300. Citing the Libyan Red Crescent, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs added that another 10,100 people were still missing in the devastated city.
  • UAE to launch digital-response platform to aid disaster-hit countries

    New York, US--The UAE has announced the launch of a new digital response platform that will support disaster-affected countries to quickly and efficiently communicate their humanitarian needs to the international community.The UAE made the announcement during a United Nations Security Council open debate titled “Maintenance of international peace and security:...
  • People’s Bank of China cuts bank reserve ratio again to aid recovery

    Beijing, China - The People's Bank of China (PBOC) on Friday unveiled its decision to trim the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for financial institutions by 0.25 percentage points, effective immediately. Notably, institutions already operating with a 5% RRR are exempted from this change. The move marks the second significant RRR...
  • Global aid pours into Morocco as quake death toll passes 2,100

    The International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has warned that the next 24 to 48 hours will be critical for saving lives as the death toll keeps rising. At the same time, global aid and support has begun to pour into Morocco, led by the UAE, Qatar,...
  • Airspace open for aid flights to quake-hit Morocco, says Algeria

    ALGIERS, ALGERIA - Algeria will allow aircraft carrying humanitarian aid to quake-hit Morocco to pass through its airspace, the president's office announced on Saturday, suspending a two-year ban on flights to its regional rival. A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous area southwest of the Moroccan tourist hotspot of Marrakesh late Friday,...
  • Jordan secures US$1.9bn in foreign aid amid dire global economic conditions

    Amman, Jordan--Jordan has succeeded in securing US$1.9 billion in foreign aid and negotiations are underway to ramp it to $3.2 billion by the end of the year. Addressing Jordan's financial assistance at a forum convened by the government on the shores of the Dead Sea on Friday, Minister of Planning...
  • Aid agencies exhort immediate action on war-torn Sudan

    Geneva, Switzerland--Four months into Sudan's conflict, the situation is spiraling out of control, with mass displacement and millions on the verge of famine, humanitarian organizations warned on Tuesday, urging immediate international action. Since Sudan's conflict erupted on April 15, the country has been plunged into a humanitarian crisis, with more than six...
  • Nearly 14m children in Sudan need aid, says UNICEF

    NEW YORK, US - Two senior UN humanitarian officials have called for more funding and fewer bureaucratic impediments to support civilians affected by the crisis in Sudan, including roughly 14 million children. Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations at the UN children’s agency (UNICEF), and...
  • Saudi Arabia approves $1.2 bn grant to boost Yemen’s flagging economy

    Yemen's finance minister and central bank governor as well as the Saudi ambassador were expected to disclose details of the grant at a signing ceremony in Riyadh. Since 2015, Riyadh has led an international coalition backing the Aden-based government in its war against Houthi rebels, who seized the capital Sanaa...
  • Fears over Syria’s proposed control on aid to rebel-held areas

    They worry over the fate of residents in Syria's last remaining rebel strongholds, in the north and northwest, after the Security Council failed on Wednesday to extend the mechanism. Under a 2014 deal, aid had largely passed through the Bab al-Hawa crossing with Turkey without the authorization of Damascus.
  • MSF suspends ‘vital’ medical aid from Iraq’s Mosul

    Mosul, Iraq -- Medical charity Doctors Without Borders announced Wednesday the suspension of "vital" medical activities in two hospitals in the war-scarred city of Mosul, blaming Iraq's bureaucracy of delaying the delivery of supplies. "Essential medical activities have been suspended at two health facilities... after stocks of medicines and supplies ran...
  • UN convoy crosses from Syria regime areas to rebel-held Idlib

    The 10-truck convoy reach rebel-held Al-Nayrab in Idlib province from the direction of regime-held Saraqib, headed for storage facilities near the Turkish border. The last such convoy was in January. The trucks were covered with banners bearing the name and logo of the UN World Food Programme.
  • France to provide Tunisia with financial aid to curb migrant flows

    The financial assistance would allow Tunisia to "acquire the necessary equipment and organize useful training, in particular for Tunisian police and border guards", French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. He defended the "European approach to the migration challenge" and said that alongside African authorities, they would "fight against the networks...
  • Saudi Arabia announces international conference on Sudan aid

    Saudi Arabia announced that it would jointly lead a conference on the humanitarian response to the war in Sudan next week. The pledging conference will be held on June 19, the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing the foreign ministry, adding it would be jointly led with Qatar, Egypt, Germany,...
  • Sudan ceasefire extended as gunfire rages, aid trickles in

    Many residents said they could hear gunfire after dark on Monday, shortly before the ceasefire extension was announced. Earlier, they reported street battles in northern Khartoum, as well as artillery fire in the south of the city, where a plume of grey smoke was visible. The persistent fighting has impeded...
  • UAE and WHO dispatch 30 tonnes of medical supplies to Sudan

    Dubai, UAE--The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have dispatched 30 tonnes of urgent medical supplies to Sudan today. A plane carrying supplies for injury treatment, emergency surgeries, and essential drugs arrived in Port Sudan Airport early this morning. The shipment, valued at US$ 444 000,...
  • Guarantee security for Sudan aid deliveries, asks UN

    The United Nations called for security guarantees at "the highest level" to ensure aid deliveries in Sudan, after trucks carrying food to the Darfur region were looted. The UN's top humanitarian official Martin Griffiths insisted on the need "we have the commitments publicly, clearly given by militaries, to protect humanitarian...
  • Flight carrying humanitarian aid from Red Cross lands in Sudan

    KHARTOUM, SUDAN -  A first Red Cross plane laden with humanitarian aid on Sunday landed in Sudan, where deadly clashes between rival generals' forces have entered their third week. "The eight tonnes of humanitarian cargo includes surgical material to support Sudanese hospitals and volunteers from the Sudan Red Crescent Society," the...
  • Red Cross to cut 1,500 jobs over funding crunch

    GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The Red Cross announced Tuesday that it would cut 1,500 jobs over the next 12 months in a drive to slash costs due to a funding crunch. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said an expected drop in humanitarian assistance budgets over the next two years...
  • Greek PM calls on EU to pay for fence extension along Turkey border

    Athens, Greece--Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday called on the European Union to "seriously consider" providing financial aid to help extend an anti-migrant steel fence along the border with Turkey. "I think it's about time for the EU to seriously consider providing European funds for these types of projects," the...
  • UAE dispatches fresh aid shipment to quake-hit families in Afghanistan

    Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE has dispatched a plane carrying 38 tonnes of urgent medical and food supplies to Afghanistan to meet the needs of thousands of Afghan families affected by earthquakes that recently struck northeastern Afghanistan. The earthquakes resulted in numerous deaths and injuries and destroyed basic infrastructure. The provision...
  • Iraq finalizes three-year budget designed to instill fiscal stability

    Just days ahead of the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion that resulted in war, chaos, and political instability, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said that his government had prepared a three-year budget for the oil-dependent economy traditionally plagued by budgetary delays. The bill will include financial aid to...
  • Syria’s Aleppo airport operational after Israeli air attack

    DAMASCUS, SYRIA - Syria's Aleppo airport, a key conduit for relief flights after the devastating February earthquake, reopened on Friday, an official said, following Israeli air strikes this week that hit its runway. The damage caused by Tuesday's raid forced aid deliveries and all flights to be diverted to Latakia and...
  • Poor states’ summit promised just US$1.4bn, says UN

    DOHA, QATAR - Just US$1.4 billion in new loans and grants were promised at a UN summit devoted to the world's poorest nations where UN leader Antonio Guterres had appealed for massive aid, officials said Thursday. A top UN envoy warned at the end of the five-day Least Developed Countries meeting...
  • Egypt top diplomat visits Syria, Turkey for first time in decade

    Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, in a rare visit to Syria and Turkey, pledged solidarity with the people of the two countries after a devastating earthquake claimed tens of thousands of lives. Shoukry met with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and the country's foreign minister Faisal Mekded. He also met Turkish...
  • UN appeals for $1 billion in aid for Turkey quake victims

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the funds would provide humanitarian relief for three months to 5.2 million people. The money would "allow aid organizations to rapidly scale up vital support," including in the areas of food security, protection, education, water and shelter, he added.
  • UN pleads for US$397 million to support Syria earthquake victims

    United Nations, US--The United Nations launched an appeal for $397 million on Tuesday to help earthquake victims in Syria, where the disaster has killed thousands of people and left millions more in desperate need of aid. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, announcing the appeal at the UN headquarters in New York, said the...
  • Syria’s Assad thanks UAE for aid, emergency response to quake

    Damascus, Syria--Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday thanked the United Arab Emirates for its emergency response and tens of millions pledged in aid to the quake-hit country, the presidency said. "The UAE was among the first countries that stood with Syria and sent huge relief and humanitarian aid and search and...
  • UN estimates 5.3 million people in Syria homeless after quake

    The earthquake is estimated to have made some 5.3 million people in Syria homeless, which rocked the region this week, according to a United Nations official. The homeless people, according to the official, will need shelter assistance across the country. Quake survivors have flocked to camps set up for people...
  • Hopes of finding survivors fade as Turkey-Syria quake toll nears 20,000

    Bitter cold has hampered the four-day search of thousands of flattened buildings and threatened the lives of many quake victims who are without shelter and drinking water. Relatives were left scouring body bags laid out in a hospital car park in Turkey's southern city of Antakya to search for missing...
  • US to work with partners to support Syria with aid but not Assad

    Washington, United States--The United States said Tuesday it was working with partners to provide earthquake relief in Syria but would stand firm against working with the Damascus government. The United States also said it expected to send further assistance to Turkey after sending two rescue teams to the NATO ally, which...
  • UAE to send humanitarian aid worth US$13.6m to Syria

    Hours after the earthquake killed at least 1,000 people and caused massive level of destruction in Syria, the UAE has pledged humanitarian assistance worth around $13.6 million to the war-scarred country, according to state media. The quake struck near the Turkish city of Gaziantep on Monday, killing more than 1,651...
  • WHO seeks $2.5bn for health emergency responses in 2023

    The World Health Organization appealed for US$2.54 billion for its work in 2023 to help millions of people facing health emergencies around the world. WHO said that it was currently responding to an unprecedented number of intersecting health emergencies. It pointed to the health impacts of conflicts in Ukraine, Yemen,...
  • UAE dispatches generators in aid to power-starved Ukraine

    Abu Dhabi, UAE- The UAE has dispatched a second consignment of household generators for the Ukrainian civilians affected by the ongoing war with Russia. In December, the UAE announced that it's sending 2,500 household generators to civilians affected by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine that has disrupted energy infrastructure and...
  • Two World Bank entities provide US$75bn in financing last year

    Washington, United States--Two World Bank entities provided a record $75 billion in financing last year, said a letter by its president, as developing countries faced crises like climate change and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The aid comes as countries emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic were hit by fallout from war in...
  • Jordan to receive $845 million in aid from the US

    The United States will provide Jordan with over US$845 million in annual financial support, officials in Amman said as the country remains heavily dependent on foreign aid. Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh was present at the signing ceremony for the allocation of annual financial support of $845.1 million, a Jordanian government...
  • Qatar and Kuwait renew pledge to help Afghanistan with aid

    United Nations, US—Reiterating their pledge to continue providing aid to Afghanistan, Qatar and Kuwait have said they will continue to work with international relief organizations in order to ensure food security for the country. Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, UN Permanent Representative of Qatar, said at a UN General...
  • Germany pledges 413.9m euros in development aid to Jordan

    The Jordanian-German discussions covered a wide range of vital sectors including education, water and renewable energy
  • Dozens of aid groups urge Yemen ceasefire extension

    Ahead of the truce's current expiration date on Sunday, 44 aid agencies issued a joint statement to "remind all parties to the conflict that the future of the people of Yemen is in their hands".
  • US to dispatch US$756m humanitarian aid to Syria

    Continuing with what it called "unwavering support for the Syrian people, US State Department said that will send $756 million in new humanitarian aid to Syria, where need remains "dire" after more than a decade of war. The funds were in addition to a trance of $808 million announced earlier...