UNRWA appeals $295mn for displaced Gazans

U.N. refugee agency UNRWA has issued an appeal for $295.4 million to help thousands of Palestinians displaced by Israel's weeks-long onslaught on the blockaded Gaza Strip.

"The agency is now appealing for a total of $295.4 million to support up to 500,000 displaced people, including more than 300,000 who are expected to continue sheltering in UNRWA schools," the agency said in a Tuesday statement.

The agency said that Palestinian civilians caught in the ongoing violence required assistance meeting their immediate needs.

"The most immediate needs include food and non-food items, such as hygiene kits that help prevent the outbreak of diseases," UNRWA said.

"Other priorities include primary health care and psychosocial support," it added.