Charities Loked Out of Gaza Due to the Siege

Gaza, MINA – Over the past years, generous donations from philanthropists and charities, especially during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, have helped alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, however, the tight siege imposed on the enclave has intensified the suffering of the poor.

Chairman of a collective of charitable organisations, Ahmed Al-Kurd, said in a statement that the people have a lot of needs while charities suffer from financial hardship due to a lack of ability to access donations, MEMO reported.

Charities depend on foreign donations, he explained, and thus the closure of their bank accounts and the fierce campaign against the Gaza Strip including the prevention of the transfer of funds to Gaza have hindered their work.

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The Israeli occupation has been imposing a strict siege of the Gaza Strip since mid-2007 after Hamas swept rival Fatah – supported by Israel and the West – out of the enclave.

Since then, Israel has waged three brutal wars in the Gaza Strip that claimed the lives of around 4,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 16,000 others. That last war lasted for 51 days and ended on 26 August. However, the siege is still in effect despite international calls to lift it.(R/R04/RS5)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)