The United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees is urging
immediate intervention to tackle the humanitarian situation in the
Gaza Strip, where the unemployment rate rose to 45 per cent at the
beginning of this year.
"We are monitoring the situation in the region, in the hope that the
world is looking to develop new strategies to end the humanitarian
crisis," Christopher Gunness, spokesperson for the UN Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), told reporters
in Gaza yesterday.
In addition to the rising unemployment rate, per capita monthly
earnings shrunk by 9.5 per cent between mid-2009 and the end of last
year, Mr. Gunness <"http://www.unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=902">noted.
He warned that the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, which has been
under an Israeli blockade since June 2007, would worsen without
immediate international intervention.
The region has become a "real test" for the international community,
Mr. Gunness pointed out, urged world leaders not to abandon the 1.5
million Palestinian residents living in Gaza.
In June 2010, Israel started allowing in more civilian goods into Gaza
while still restricting access to concrete, iron and other materials
that the UN has said are needed to repair the devastating damage
caused by the 2008-2009 offensive Israel said it launched to halt
rocket and other attacks against it.
Last month, B. Lynn Pascoe, the UN Under-Secretary-General for
Political Affairs, told the Security Council that a fundamental goal
of the UN continues to be the re-vitalization of Gaza's economy and
seeking the end of the Israeli closure policy.
He noted that import and export levels have improved from the period
before Israel's June 2010 policy adjustment, but are still
significantly below pre-2007 levels.
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