Jamal Al-Khudari, the chairman of the popular anti-siege committee, said in a statement that the Gaza Strip’s losses reached $1.5 billion in 2020 due to the Israeli occupation’s siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
He explained how this year’s statistics indicate the most dangerous consequences. Because the siege has continued for its 14th year, the humanitarian, health and economic conditions have become very disastrous.
The spread of the Coronavirus also led to the deterioration of the humanitarian condition which has threatened the food security in the Strip where more than 85% of the people live below the poverty line.
The unemployment rate rose to 60%; with more than 350,000 workers are left unemployed, and 80% of factories closed down. The remaining manufacturing rate reached 20% because of the ban of raw materials from entry, the constraints on importation and exportation and continuous assaults.
The economic status of day laborers, and shopkeepers has deteriorated as well. Al-Khudari urged the international community to intervene immediately to save Gaza, and emphasized the importance of lifting the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip - which is the main window to help the Strip overcome the current crises.
