Japan Helps Palestine Worth 32 Million US Dollars

Ramallah, MINA – The Japanese government announced the provision of financial assistance to help the various needs of the Palestinian people including refugees valued at more than 32 million US dollars through UNRWA on Wednesday (12/2).

Palinfo reported, Japan supported the need for an urgent policy to protect marginalized Palestinians through the Development Program under the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Women (UNWOMEN) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) , The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNMAS), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The assistance also includes providing medical supplies through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as in the framework of Japan’s support for the recovery of the Palestinian economy through the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the Quartet Office.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Anti-Blockade People’s Committee, Jamal al-Khudri said, 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza are dependent on humanitarian donations due to the Israeli blockade causing bad economic conditions.

This crisis condition is the impact of the blockade that has lasted for 13 years, and caused a continuous economic collapse.

According to Al-Khudri, this condition provides a picture about the high percentage of poverty and unemployment.

Some 1.5 million people currently depend on humanitarian assistance such as assistance from the UN refugee agency UNRWA and humanitarian assistance from the Arab world, international and other social institutions.

“This assistance in general is still very limited and does not meet their needs to continue their lives, and only the minimum limit can be achieved,” said Al-Khudri.

He stressed the importance of work so that citizens can depend on their own source of income, and the gate for that is very clear and only, namely the lifting of the Gaza blockade in full.

The opening of the blockade includes freedom of movement, the opening of crossings, and trade exchanges between Gaza and the West Bank through safe routes, in addition to freedom of export and import, without any restrictions and obstacles at the crossing.

It was also stressed the importance of utilizing strategic projects, such as ports and airports to change the difficult conditions of Gaza.

In addition, it is very important to take fast steps to save the bad conditions in Gaza, strongly and without hesitation by the international community, the Arabs and the Islamic world, as a right for the Palestinian people, where economic conditions and public services continue to deteriorate every day.

The United States’ decision to stop donations through UNRWA is also one of the main causes of UNRWA’s financial crisis, he added.

Al-Khudri reiterated the importance of fast and strong steps from the international side, because in 2020 this could be Gaza unfit to be a place of life, and save the economy and humanitarian services in various sectors. (T/R7/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)