The Joint Committee for Refugees warned of a real catastrophe in the Gaza Strip if the international community does not remedy this danger in light of the extremely difficult economic conditions in the Gaza Strip during the 13 years of the Israeli siege and closure, and demanded a visit to the new Commissioner-General Gaza, and see its conditions and the need to develop a health relief emergency plan for refugees, saying that the best solution is to lift the blockade permanently from Gaza.
A press release of the joint committee said today, Tuesday, that in light of the difficult conditions, the limited capabilities of the Gaza Strip and the weak health system due to the Israeli blockade, and in order to confront this epidemic, urgent intervention by the international community and international organizations is necessary to save the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian refugee community living in conditions Extremely difficult and complicated from poverty, unemployment, deprivation, downsizing of services, blockade and continuous Israeli aggression.
And it called on the international community, specifically the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees and the World Health Organization, not to leave the Gaza Strip locked in its suffering to struggle alone with the Corona pandemic, as it is struggling for the impossible for survival and life. In the Gaza Strip, more than two million people live without the minimum health system capable of facing the epidemic. It is a necessary ingredient for life in the face of corona virus.
The Joint Committee for Refugees asked, how can the system of domestic isolation be implemented in the event of this epidemic in light of the inability to secure daily living, stressing that the best solution to get out of this situation is to lift the Israeli siege completely from the Gaza Strip immediately so that our people can communicate with the world External and providing the health needs necessary to prevent, sterilize and prepare for what is urgent in the Gaza Strip.
The Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees called for the adoption of a health relief emergency plan that responds to the increasing needs of Palestinian refugees in all their places, specifically in the five areas of UNRWA operations, and called upon the countries that pledge to UNRWA and the countries of the world to respond quickly to the distress call launched by the UNRWA Presidency to request the provision of all necessary needs for Facing the emergency health of the Palestinian refugees.
The Joint Committee called on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to take urgent action to urge the countries of the world to fulfill their pledges to UNRWA in order to be able to implement its programs and services for refugees, whether regular or emergency, and the need to urge the United States to return to pay its share to UNRWA because this represents an obligation that it is part of the international community and bears Much of the responsibility for the tragedy of the Palestinian refugees.
The new Commissioner-General, Mr. Philip Lazarini, demanded speedy attendance to the Gaza Strip, access to poor health conditions for refugees, oversee the development of a special emergency plan, and a mechanism to secure financial support to enforce the Gaza Strip specifically from an expected disaster, and called for work to secure health, food and material assistance for unemployed workers Of refugees and non-refugees as a result of the Corona pandemic and the overall disruption of the production movement, which is already weak.
The Committee appreciated what the agency´s director of operations, Matthias North, said of holding the occupation responsible for the deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli blockade for 13 years.
The agency´s administration in the Gaza Strip demanded that teachers ’salaries be paid in lieu of daily days, a commitment to renew contracts for emergency employees, return of dismissed employees, and install vacancy teachers as part of the commitment and contribution to take responsibility under the difficult conditions experienced by refugees in the Gaza Strip.
The Joint Committee for Refugees saluted the children of our refugee people in all their places, and highly valued their ability and awareness to protect themselves from the Coronian pandemic, and demanded them to form emergency committees for protection, prevention, sterilization and awareness-raising among the masses of refugees.
