DUBAI, 24 January 2008 (IRIN) - On 23 January Abdul Aziz Muhammad Arrukban, special humanitarian envoy of UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, appealed to Gulf countries to continue channelling their substantial assistance to the Palestinian people through the UN.

[Listen to Arrukban's appeal in Arabic: http://www.irinnews.org/audiofiles/24012008.wma]

He issued his call, through IRIN, a day after 12 UN agencies and 28 non-governmental organisations launched a joint appeal for US$461.9 million to meet the basic human needs of the Palestinians in 2008.

The consolidated appeal is the largest for emergency humanitarian assistance ever launched in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and the third biggest in the world for 2008, after Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In his statement Arrukban said he understood that donors (the government and individuals) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had expressed "a keen interest in supporting the [Palestinian] refugees through UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees)". This is in addition to last week's announcement of a US$9 million donation by the UAE to three UN agencies.

The UAE has traditionally been a major contributor of emergency relief to regions affected by conflict and natural disasters.

Arrukban said: "The last few days have seen the deterioration of an already fragile humanitarian situation in Gaza. The chronic lack of fuel has affected the infrastructure, including the hospitals, water and sewage networks. Under these circumstances, it is imperative that aid agencies continue delivering assistance to the people of Gaza, and that the international community support them in this endeavour."

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