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PRESS RELEASE - Under Strict Embargo Until Tuesday, November 30, 7:01 PM EST/ 02:01 Jerusalem
Six Months Later: Little Improvement in Gaza, Since Israeli ‘Easing’ of Blockade, Says Report from Aid and Human Rights Groups
Six Months Later: Little Improvement in Gaza, Since Israeli ‘Easing’ of Blockade, Says Report from Aid and Human Rights Groups
- Imports of construction materials still only 11 per cent of 2007 pre-blockade levels.
- Israel approves imports for only seven per cent of UNRWA’s rebuilding plan for Gaza.
November 30, 2010 – Israel’s measures to ‘ease’ the illegal blockade of Gaza in the face of significant international pressure[i] have done little to change the plight of Gaza’s civilians, says a report published today by an international coalition of 22 development, human rights and peace-building organisations. They are calling for renewed international action to ensure an immediate, unconditional and complete lifting of the blockade.
The international community has eased its pressure on Israel, but too little has been done to effectively ease the restrictions on the daily lives of the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza, half of whom are children, says the report, Dashed Hopes: Continuation of the Gaza Blockade. The report says that not only has Israel neglected to address major elements of the blockade in its ‘easing’ measures, such as lifting the ban on exports from Gaza, but it has failed so far to live up to key commitments it did make.
Israel promised to expand and accelerate imports of desperately-needed construction materials for United Nations and other international projects such as schools, health centers, houses and sewage plants, many of which were damaged or destroyed during the military operation in December 2008-January 2009. But in reality the report shows that progress has been slow and limited since this pledge. Israel has so far only approved the import of materials for 25 UNRWA[ii] construction projects for schools and clinics, a mere seven per cent of UNRWA’s entire reconstruction plan for Gaza. Even for these approved projects, only a small fraction of the required construction materials have actually been permitted to enter Gaza so far.
More generally, says the report, the United Nations has estimated that Gaza needs 670,000 truckloads of construction materials for housing alone in Gaza. An average of only 715 truckloads of construction materials have entered the Gaza Strip per month since the ‘easing’ announcement, says the report. At this rate, it would take many decades to build the needed homes. And because UNRWA has been unable to get construction materials to build new schools, 40,000 eligible children could not be enrolled at UN schools at the start of the new academic year.
“Only a fraction of the aid needed has made it to the civilians trapped in Gaza by the blockade”, said Jeremy Hobbs, Director of Oxfam International. “Israel’s failure to live up to its commitments and the lack of international action to lift the blockade are depriving Palestinians in Gaza of access to clean water, electricity, jobs and a peaceful future.”
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