Officials in the Gaza Strip explained in a session organized by ICSPR via Zoom how the Gaza Strip suffers from disastrous humanitarian conditions.

Salah Abdel-Atti, the chairman of ICSPR, stressed that these conditions encircle the reality and future of the Strip with risks and challenges due to several factors.

The main factors are the increasing intensity of the blockade that has been imposed on the Gaza Strip for fourteen years, the destruction of the environment and economic facilities, the sharp rise in poverty and unemployment rates, the continuity of the division and its consequences (such as the collective punishment by the PA on public employees and allocations kept for prisoners and martyrs), the coronavirus’ consequences and other shortages in water, electricity and health services.

Jamal Al-Khudari, the chairman of the popular anti-siege committee, said that the economic wheel stopped in about 80% of the economic facilities. He pointed to the influence of the Coronavirus pandemic on all sectors (economy, health, society, education, tourism, contracting and others).

Samir Abu Mdalala, professor of political science at the Al-Azhar University in Gaza, presented a group of figures and statistics on the disastrous consequences if the cuts in the PA’s employees’ salaries rise above 50%. He said that the more dangerous sign is the average of salaries in the Gaza Strip which does not go over 800 shekels (i.e. less than the minimum wage).

Such percentages indicate high unemployment rates amidst a difficult time of increase in manpower and absence of job opportunities. The attendees urged for the protection of employees’ rights and retrieve of their rights retrospectively.

They also demanded the government in Gaza to support the people’s steadfastness and to guarantee their human rights, development of work, and reinforcement of partnership with the private sector and the civil society in order to solve the Strip’s problems.

The attendees also emphasized the importance of reinforcing the popular movement, exercising pressure on achieving reconciliation, and holding of presidential and legislative elections along with the National Council elections.

They urged the UNRWA, the international community, the Arab countries and the UN to step in and offer aids that can solve the piling problems in the Gaza Strip.