Donations to IAC’s Gaza emergency relief fund tops MVR 23M

International Aid Campaign (IAC) says it has received over MVR 23 million in donations to the emergency relief fund opened to aid Palestinians, as Israel ramps up its attacks on Gaza.

IAC has announced that as of Saturday, the fund received MVR 23,987,108 and USD 13,023.

IAC, one of the biggest humanitarian agencies in Maldives, has recently been hit with calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of funds.

However, the agency insists that it shares its audits with the authorities in compliance with all laws and regulations, and manages donations via a system that promotes transparency and integrity.

IAC reports that its teams in Gaza have been distributing both cash and meal packages to displaced Palestinians.

Three weeks into the conflict with Palestinian group Hamas, Israel's bombardment and blockage of Gaza has intensified.

Gaza had been under a near-total communications blackout for nearly 36 hours following Israeli air attacks on Friday that knocked out communications lines and towers.

The move is thought to be aimed at clearing the way for troops to push into the enclave.

The fighting began on October 7, when Hamas initiated Operation Al Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air.

It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al Aqsa Mosque, and increased violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in Gaza.

Over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, while more than 1.4 million people have been displaced.

Israel’s response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has endured a crippling siege since 2007.

Israel also intensified raids in the occupied West Bank.