UNRWA to give $1.1 million for homeless Gaza families

The UN agency for Palestine refugees said Sunday that cash payments would be distributed to hundreds of families in Gaza whose houses were destroyed or damaged during Israel's assault on Gaza in 2014.

UNRWA said in a statement that $1.1 million has been allocated for distribution to some 800 families in the Strip starting next week.

Families will be able to receive their share from local banks in Gaza.

The statement said the UN agency would continue to support Gaza families whose homes were damaged or destroyed during the war. 

But much more financial support will be needed in order to give the families the resources they need, the UNRWA statement said.

On Jan. 27, the agency announced that it was forced to stop a cash assistance program for tens of thousands of Palestinians to make repairs to damaged and destroyed homes.

UNRWA has so far only received $135 million since donors in October pledged $5.4 billion to Gaza for reconstruction.

Israeli attacks on Gaza during the 50-day war on the Strip last summer killed over 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and some 100,000 people whose homes were destroyed or damaged remain displaced.