President of the Businessmen Association in the Gaza Strip, Ali Al-Hayek, called today, Monday, the Palestinian government, the United Nations, and international and local institutions, for the need to urgently intervene and provide emergency relief programs for thousands of Palestinian families, workers, and private sector establishments and factories, which have been negatively affected. Corona virus outbreak in the Gaza Strip.
Hayek said in a press statement, that thousands of residents of the Gaza Strip will not be able to bear the burdens of the intensification of the Corona pandemic, with the continuation of the Israeli blockade, and the closure of most of the economic facilities, factories and commercial centers, and the absence of strong and direct interference from international and relief institutions, especially with the imposition of a ban. Complete roaming, and disruption of work, as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.
He added, "The outbreak of the virus among citizens affected all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, paralyzed the commercial and industrial sectors, the contracting and business sector in general, and stopped about 95% of economic establishments from working, as they are considered closed."
Hayek indicated that about 2000 industrial establishments closed their doors from work with the start of the curfew in the Gaza Strip, not to mention thousands of other commercial establishments that stopped working due to the precautionary measures.
He pointed out that there are more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza who live in difficult conditions due to the Israeli blockade, and most of them depend on urgent relief aid, of whom more than a quarter of a million are unemployed, 150 thousand other university graduates are unemployed, and 50 thousand people with needs There are 20,000 orphan children, about 13,000 people with cancer, and thousands of people with chronic diseases.
He said, "Today we met with a ministerial delegation from the government and we stressed the need to work on recovering the economy and not fully stagnating during and after the Corona pandemic, and we also discussed the most important problems facing the Gaza Strip under the blockade and the challenges it imposes despite the pandemic, and the resulting crises, and the most important proposals. Necessary to develop infrastructure supporting the private sector in particular, and to support trade exchange between the northern and southern governorates.
Hayek called on the international community, institutions and international organizations, led by the United Nations and the sponsors of peace, and the Quartet for real and serious pressure, in order to provide relief aid with the Gaza Strip, open all crossings for the movement of people and goods, and work to end the unjust blockade immediately, to spare the sector an economic and social disaster. And healthy, environmental.
