Humza Yousaf pledges further £250,000 in Gaza aid as in-laws remain trapped

The First Minister has pledged a further £250,000 to aid displaced Palestinians access food, water and medical supplies.

It takes the Scottish Government’s total funding to assist the relief efforts to £750,000, benefiting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) flash appeal.

The fund specifically helps those in Gaza amid the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, with more than 670,000 people understood to currently be seeking safety in UNWRA shelters in the region.

Humza Yousaf’s in-laws, from Dundee, remain trapped in Gaza without clean drinking water and “rapidly diminishing supplies”, he said on Wednesday.

Yousaf's parents-in-law Elizabeth & Maged El-Nakla, who remain trapped in Gaza after visiting family. — Yousaf’s parents-in-law Elizabeth & Maged El-Nakla, who remain trapped in Gaza after visiting family. Handout

Yousaf said: “I have been repeatedly calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, but while we press this vital issue it’s important we support the Palestinian people as much as we can.

“The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, which is why I’m pledging this additional funding to support in helping to stop the humanitarian disaster we are witnessing.

“As supplies run out in Gaza, the lives of innocent civilians are at grave risk from a lack of food, water, medical supplies and fuel.

“My thoughts remain with all of those caught in the middle of the escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza. The killing of innocent civilians can never be justified, wherever it occurs.”

The First Minister recently wrote to UK political leaders to urge them to support a ceasefire and to allow a humanitarian corridor to open.

With the Rafah crossing into Egypt now open to allow some foreign nationals to leave, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Wednesday that the UK Government is working to help as many British passport holders as possible to leave the Gaza Strip.

Marta Lorenzo, director of the UNRWA representative office for Europe, said: “Scotland is helping UNRWA provide shelter, food, medicines and water to entire families that had to flee their home.

“We are extremely grateful for the additional contribution from Scotland, demonstrating the increasingly strong support to UNRWA.”