Gaza Strip: Refugees Protest UNRWA to Downsize Food Coupons

Gaza, MINA – Dozens of Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip staged a protest on Sunday against recent decision by UNRWA’s to downsize food coupons.

Organized by a popular committee affiliated with the PLO, the protest was held outside the UNRWA food distribution center in the Al-Shati (Beach) Refugee Camp.

Participating in the protest were representatives of national factions, associations and civil society organizations in refugee camps, Anadolu Agency reported.

The protesters expressed their rejection of UNRWA’s decision to impose a cut in its services. They accuse the agency of taking the first practical steps to stop essential services for refugees.

The popular committee also demanded that UNRWA cancel the new single coupon system and reintroduce a two-coupon system, to improve the balance for Palestinian refugees classified under the extreme poverty line. An estimated 770,000 refugees are already at that level. (T/R7/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)