Region | Palestinian Territories
People 'paying price for democracy'
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza fear they may be paying the price for democracy, following the decision of Western donors, including the EU and the United States, to suspend direct aid to the newly elected Hamas-led government.
- By Zoi Constantine, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:33 May 3, 2009
Dubai: Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza fear they may be paying the price for democracy, following the decision of Western donors, including the EU and the United States, to suspend direct aid to the newly elected Hamas-led government.
The suspension of aid has compounded an already dire humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza, with the UN predicting that poverty levels will rise to 74 per cent.
Adding to the situation is the non-payment of the 150,000 Palestinian National Authority employees, whose salaries support an estimated 1 million people, or a quarter of the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza.
Badly hit
With the Palestinian National Authority in control of 62 per cent of the primary health clinics, as well as all government schools and other social services, the suspension of aid continues to affect the very people who are charged with providing services to the public.
"The major issues are access to food and health services.
"For example, Gaza's main hospital has recently announced a critical lack of medicine, which has led to the closure of some departments," said Hamdi Shaqqura of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza.
"The pretext is boycotting Hamas, but in reality the people are being punished for their democratic choice," Shaqqura told Gulf News.
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