A senior agency official has said the United Nations on Wednesday will launch a $2.8 billion appeal for donations this year to help the conflict-ravaged population of the Gaza Strip as well as West Bank Palestinians, AFP reports.

“Of course, 90 per cent of it is for Gaza,” Andrea De Domenico, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian territories, said, noting that the original plan had been $4bn for 2024 but budgeting was slashed given the “limited ability” of humanitarian aid distribution access.