UN agency withdraws aid workers over safety

THE UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has removed around 10 international aid workers from the Gaza Strip, citing concern for their safety.

The workers were threatened during protests against cuts within the organisation, a spokesman said.

The agency called on authorities in the Gaza Strip – controlled by the radical Islamist Hamas movement – to comply with repeated requests to guarantee the security of its workers and facilities.

The US announced in early September it would suspend its payments to UNRWA after providing about $365 million the previous year. The US said it had to shoulder a disproportionate share of the financial burden and UNRWA recognises too many people as refugees.

About 13 000 people are working on behalf of UNRWA in the Gaza Strip, though it has been forced to cut its workforce due to financial pressure. Thousands of employees went on strike last week out of protest.

According to a report from the World Bank last week, cuts in funding from the US and the Palestinian Authority government have pushed Gaza Strip’s economy into “free fall”.

Israel, along with Egypt, imposed a blockade of the territory in 2007 after Hamas seized control. Since then, Israel has fought three wars with Hamas, compounding the blockade’s crippling effect on the economy.

Since the end of March, more than 190 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers during protests and clashes.

The Gaza Strip – home to around 2 million people – had a negative 6% growth rate in the first quarter of 2018. It has a 54% unemployment rate, which rises to 70% among young people. |