UNITED NATIONS, July 18: Citing an ‘extremely bleak’ and worsening humanitarian outlook for the occupied Palestinian territory, the United Nations and select non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have taken what officials called an unprecedented step of revising their appeal for humanitarian assistance to Palestinians from $215 million to $384 million.

The revised emergency appeal is aimed at helping the neediest people, particularly children, who make up half the Palestinian population, and does not replace the comprehensive services provided by the Palestinian Authority (PA), the UN said in the text, presented by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.