Israeli raids on Palestinian refugee camps to cost UN agency $3.8 million in damages

The United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees today reported that Israel’s military incursion into refugee camps and the bombing of Gaza City during March will cost at least $3.8 million in repairs.

According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), actions by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) caused damage to 22 schools, four UN health clinics, two UN ambulances and four camp service centres.

The cost of immediate repairs to the Agency’s installations will be at least $270,000 and the UN will have to spend another $225,000 on urgently needed road and infrastructure repairs inside the camps. An additional $2.3 million will be required to rebuild the 141 refugee homes that were destroyed during the incursion, UNRWA said.

In addition to the more than 100 Palestinians who died in the raids, one UNRWA employee, Kamal Hamdan, was killed in the West Bank town of Tulkarm while travelling in a UN ambulance.

UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, Peter Hansen, said the assault has multiplied the burden on the Agency’s scarce resources “not only by damaging much of our infrastructure and installations, but by creating more victims of violence and destruction. Now more than ever, the refugees urgently need the international community to come to their aid.”

The UN might seek compensation from Israel for the damages, a spokesman for the Organization said in New York.