Friday, January 30, 2009

The Obama administration has made an emergency contribution of more than $20 million for urgent relief efforts in the Gaza Strip.

The contribution came Friday, a day after the United Nations launched a flash appeal for $613 million to help Palestinians recover from Israel's three-week military operation there.

The State Department says that President Barack Obama authorized the use of $20.3 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for humanitarian assistance to the 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza.

The money will go to U.N. agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Those agencies are distributing emergency food assistance and other relief.