Israel awaits Biden message on Iran; Egypt gains Saudi and Arab League support on Nile Dam dispute; Egypt’s chicken showdown; Hamas seizes Israeli surveillance balloon.
Putin opens door to Syrian fighters in Ukraine; Egyptian students’ harrowing escape from Ukraine; Hamas keeps quiet on Ukraine while building mega-mosques; Lebanon’s cancer crisis; and more … in about 1,300 words.
US can follow World Bank road map
The Biden administration has made reconstruction and humanitarian assistance to Gaza a priority following the Israel-Hamas cease-fire, but the challenge of channeling aid to the territory is large.
US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken announced $38 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza on May 26, most of it through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), in addition to $250 million in economic, development, security and humanitarian aid announced earlier this year.
Combined with pledges so far of $500 million each from Egypt and Qatar, $22.5 million from the UN, $9.8 million from the EU, $49 million from Germany, $4.5 million from the UK, and $1 million from China (see our breakdown here), and probably more to come from the Gulf, it adds up which makes sense, because the people of Gaza desperately need the help.