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OPT: Humanitarian aid from Finland to Gaza

Press release 2/2009

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen today decided to grant 500,000 euros from Finnish humanitarian aid funds for the work done by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assist victims of the crisis in the Middle East.

Gaza faces a humanitarian crisis. More than 640 people have been killed and an estimated 3,000 have been injured by military action. Aid work needs to be carried out in extremely difficult conditions, in the densely populated Gaza strip amidst military operations. The ICRC has 75 workers in Gaza, the Palestine Red Crescent Society nearly 300 workers. Finland's support is granted to the ICRC through the Finnish Red Cross.

Additional information: Head of Unit Ulla-Maija Finskas, tel. +358 9 1605 6225, mobile tel. +358 50 552 3232, and Counsellor Timo Karmakallio, tel. +358 9 1605 6342, mobile tel. +358 40 727 5487, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, and Ossi Martikainen, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, tel. +359 9 1605 6306, mobile tel. +358 40 592 6769