Gaza humanitarian situation ‘deplorable and getting worse,’ UN official warns

Terming the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip “deplorable and getting worse,” a senior United Nations regional official has warned that vital public services are in danger of collapsing if a solution is not found soon to the crisis arising from the cut-off of international funds after the formation of the Hamas-led Government.

“We urgently need to get the funding mechanism, promised by the Quartet a month ago, operational now,” UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Director of Operations for Gaza John Ging said, referring to the four Road Map peace plan sponsors – UN, European Union, Russia and the United States.

With donors balking at funding the Hamas Government unless its commits to non-violence, recognizes Israel and accepts previous agreements and obligations, including the Road Map plan for a two-State solution, the Quartet on 9 May endorsed a temporary mechanism to funnel assistance directly to the Palestinian people.

It called for a means of aid delivery that is limited in scope and duration, operates with full transparency and accountability, and ensures direct delivery to the people. “If these criteria can be met, the operation of the temporary international mechanism should begin as soon as possible,” the Quartet said.

Without such a mechanism, Mr. Ging said the cut-off is now taking its toll. Without money, local authorities have been unable to pay salaries or any other bill for three months and now their suppliers, themselves in debt, cannot afford to extend credit for much longer.

“In every municipality I have visited this week the situation is the same. Garbage trucks are sitting idle while rubbish piles up, sewage treatment plants are struggling to remain operational, fuel for water pumps is running out and mosquito infestation is out of control in many areas as there is no money to purchase expensive pesticides,” he added.

As part of the revised UN Consolidated Appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory, surging by 80 per cent from $215 million to $385 million, UNRWA has doubled its own segment to meet the growing demand for relief services. In Gaza, it is prepared to add 23,000 new refugee families to its food distribution programme and needs extra funding to tackle the 100,000-person waiting list for its job creation programme.