UN aid group: Israel deliberately hampering West Bank, Gaza relief efforts
According to the group's report, Israel isn't permitting construction of buildings for needy Palestinians and is encumbering on the freedom of movement of aid groups and their staffs.
By Chaim Levinson Tags: Israel news UN Gaza West BankA United Nations humanitarian relief agency is accusing Israel of deliberately disrupting the international community's aid efforts for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
According to a special report released by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA ), Israel is not permitting construction of buildings for needy Palestinians and is encumbering on the freedom of movement of aid groups and their staffs.
The report, which was issued on Thursday under the headline "Impeding Assistance: Challenges to Meeting the Humanitarian Needs of Palestinians," said that human rights NGOs last year committed a total of $660 million in aid to the territories.
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A man with a sack of flour from UNRWA headquarters in Rafah. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
A large portion of the report is devoted to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where it claims that UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees, has been unable to build 100 news schools it says are needed to accommodate the fast-growing population.
In May 2009, the UN submitted a request for Israeli approval of a wide-ranging, $80 million plan to provide housing, medical assistance and educational services to Gazans. After nine months of negotiations, the Israeli government permitted a scaled-down version of the original plan, including the construction of 151 residential units in a project in Khan Yunis.
On Friday, a report appeared in the Israel Hayom newspaper which quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying: "In Gaza, let them build [homes] with wood. Concrete is used to build bunkers."
The OCHA report claims Israel is interfering with the movement of local Palestinian aid workers. According to the report, 20 percent of requests for West Bank workers to secure passage to Gaza were rejected, while 46 percent of requests for Gaza-based employees to gain entry into the West Bank were turned down. The OCHA report said Israeli constraints have complicated efforts to train workers in Gaza.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, aid groups have encountered other problems. In 2010, the UN formulated a series of urgent plans aimed at addressing shortages in water, educational services and housing for needy Palestinians living in Area C, the West Bank territories under exclusive Israeli military and civilian administration. According to the report, the international body prepared 15 initiatives that were intended to provide water to 52,000 Palestinians in 17 different locales in Area C, as well as 25 projects for the reconstruction of schools to service 6,000 children. Three months have passed since the UN presented these plans to the Israeli government, which has yet to offer its response.
Another issue cited by OCHA is movement in the West Bank. While the report acknowledged that the lifting of roadblocks and removal of checkpoints have significantly improved NGOs' ability to work, it stated that difficulties remain. In August 2009, aid agencies were unable to deliver 170 water tankers intended to service 58 families and some 5,000 sheep in the southern Hebron Hills due to mounds of earth that impeded their progress. This forced half the residents of one village to relocate in order to find sources of water, the report stated.
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"After nine months of negotiations, the Israeli government permitted a scaled-down version of the original plan, including the construction of 151 residential units in a project in Khan Yunis." Hhaaretz
It Israelis may not be gentle nursemaids when they look at the laundry lists that the aid organizations offer to them in order to assist the Palestinian Arabs. Then again, could it be that the Israelis are concerned that the goods and services get to the hands of the people who are doing to "do the work". Israeli pols may be a little dishonest, but Palestinian Arabs in the Judea and Gaza make the Jews look like amateurs. Instead of accusing the Israeli authorities of balking it may be that they are making sure that the selfsame humanitarian assistance is provided to the people who require rather than the sticky fingers of some PA bureaucrat. Other than that, it is highly suspicious when I read about a growing population in Gaza. In times of distress, you don't "make babies", and yet the Palestinian Arabs of Gaza are considered in distress. Something must be rotten in Demark, or, more likely in the way Amnesty International reports on actocities. Where were they in Darfur, or Zimbabwe? Even if there are issues that require attention here, putting the State of Israel at the head of the list of offenders is dirty pool of the highest order.
Exactly what makes you think that Amnesty puts Israel at the top of the list of offenders? The fact that Israeli media reports when Amnesty criticises Israel but not when it criticises other nations? Get real. If you had googled instead of running your mouth here you would have found hundreds of Amnesty reports on both Sudan and Zimbabwe. BTW third world countries where the population is poor have very high birth rates, it is in industrialized and rich countries that birth rates are low.
deal? if "no" you get nothing from us. release shalit now and we wil be nicer to you....
In other regions and countries the international community already would have acted but not with Israel. How is it possible that this tiny little country Israel is able to block UN AID to Gaza and even slow down aid to Westbank and East Jerusalem? How come the EU and the US is powerless to act? How come the arab nations are not interfering and helping with huge convoys the Gaza people: Because nobody really care about the Palestinians. That is my observation! Come on countries!!! Israel is a tiny country, I am sure you can handle this!
which Israel permits in, can't be used to construct bunkers from which to attack Israel. And this the Islamists of Hamas don't like since their interest is not construction for the people of Gaza but the preparation for the next major attack on Israel's civilian population through the launching of rockets and missiles.
You are an illegal settler living on stolen land. You do not have a right to condemn "ANYONE". GO HOME.
of course Israel has surrounded the enemy and blocks its supplies. that is a standard military tactic. The ennemy is supposed to lay down its arms and to stop fighting. Hamas makes peace with Israel and that is the end of the "humanitarian problem. That simple!
"Surrender or we take it out on 1.5 million of your civilians." If we disregard that this kind of collective punishment is illegal there is still the little matter of how effective it is. Sure it might work on a traditional army whose priority is to protect the citizens of a state. But Israel is trying to use it on a terrorist group that is not above sacrificing its own people on suicide missions. The only ones suffering is the civilians in Gaza and Israel's image.
This looks just like a medieval army clammering to enter the port of a fortified city. without food supply and without shelter, and so there is a humanitarian problem in front of the gate. Usually in the middle ages the enemy army withdrew and stopped the fighting. but the medieval islam does not have common sense.
"In Gaza, let them build [homes] with wood. ..."- Netanyahu !!. What type of arrogance and nonsense this statement has ?!.
First withhold the flour, and then say, "Let them eat cake". The subsequent events are well documented.
I think he is going green...recycle, reuse, etc
Since 1948 Israel has constantly worked to get Palestinians to move elsewhere (to ease Israel's demographic problem). Is it a surprise to anyone that it makes life as difficult as possible for Palestinians?
When people in Iran were dying,potobac was silent.When Hamas was killing own people in Gaza,potobac was silent.When Israelis were bombed and dying potobac was,again,silent as usual.Now,the same potobac comes here and want us to believe that he's concerned about Palestinians plight.For someone who showed so much indifference,response like "So what" would be more fitting his insensible soul.
I don't see why one bothered by suffering in Kosovo or Tibet or Iran would post about it in an Israeli paper; do you? As to factional fighting in Gaza, unfortunately that's what happens when factions fight for control; remember the Altalena?When Israelis were being bombed, that was the reality of the situation Israel pushed native Palestinians into. How else could they continue to fight the invader? Have you ever cried over how our bombing killed hundreds of thousands of German civilians in WWII? My solution is an Israel where gentiles have the same position in rights and treatment before the law as Jews have in the US. That would cease bombing instantly. Otherwise you will continue to pay the price.
Hamas has Gaza under siege and as long as Gaza is a terrorist strong hold security will remain high. This is Hamas' doing, not Israel.
The same logic was used by Israel during their last Gaza invasion. Israel is NOT guilty of any crimes irrespective of how many innocents killed by Israeli bombs. Since Israel was created for God's children, there are always INNOCENT of any crimes or genocide.
Hamas has Gaza under siege? It is Israel that deems items like pillow cases and sheets as dangerous to Israel security. As well as kids toys, Jam, school books for writing in. The Israeli siege is just a joke and is reflecting badly on Israel. Collective punishment of a population is illegal and I hope for prosecution of Israeli politicians in the long run due to this immoral and illegal behavior.