Een onderzoek van mensenrechtenexperts van de Verenigde Naties heeft uitgewezen dat bij de raid van Israël op het Gaza-flotilla oorlogsmisdaden zijn gepleegd door opzettelijk te moorden. Het was verder een compleet onwettige actie onder het internationaal recht, zo meldt de Britse krant The Guardian.
Eerder had de VN-Veiligheidsraad de aanval al veroordeeld.
De verklaring van de VN
ISRAELI ACTION AGAINST GAZA FLOTILLA ‘UNLAWFUL’ – UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL PANEL
Israeli forces violated human rights and international humanitarian law during the 31 May incident involving a convoy of aid ships bound for Gaza, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s international, independent fact-finding mission has concluded.
In a 56-page report, the fact-finding mission, which is separate from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s four-member panel of inquiry into the same incident, found that the action of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in intercepting one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, on the high sea was “clearly unlawful.”
Nine civilians lost their lives and several more were seriously injured in the incident against the flotilla that departed from Turkey and was trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has been the subject of an Israeli blockade since 2007.
“The conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla passengers was not only disproportionate to the occasion but demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence,” the report states.
“It betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality. Such conduct cannot be justified or condoned on security or any other grounds. It constituted grave violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law.”
The report, which was made public yesterday, presents a factual description of the events leading up to the interception of each of the six ships in the flotilla as well as a seventh ship intercepted on 6 June, the deaths of nine passengers and wounding of many others, and the detention of passengers in Israel and their deportation.
The three-member mission said there is clear evidence to support prosecutions of crimes such as wilful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, and wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health.
It also voiced regret that the Israeli Government declined to cooperate with the mission, and that this is not the first time that this has happened.
“On yet another occasion of an enquiry into events involving loss of life at the hands of the Israeli military, the Government of Israel has declined to cooperate in an inquiry not appointed by it or on which it was significantly represented.”
The mission, chaired by Judge K. Hudson-Phillips, former judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, interviewed more than 100 witnesses in Geneva, London, Istanbul and Amman during the course of its work.
Sir Desmond de Silva, Queen’s Counsel, who was chief prosecutor of the Sierra Leone War Crimes Tribunal, and Shanthi Dairiam, human rights expert of Malaysia and former member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, are also on the team, which will present its report to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council next week. (VN: sept 23, 2010)
Zie ook in de Britse krant The Guardian:
"UN panel accuses Israel of war crimes for 'unlawful' assault on Gaza flotilla"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/23/un-panel-israel-war-crimes
Zie ook:
VN-Veiligheidsraad veroordeelt dodelijke aanval op Gaza-hulpkonvooi
zaterdag 25 september 2010
vrijdag 23 juli 2010
Ban Ki-moon spoort Israelische en Palestijnse leiders aan tot krachtige stappen naar vrede
BAN URGES ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS TO TAKE ‘BOLD STEPS’ TOWARDS PEACE
With the coming weeks critical in moving towards direct Israeli-Palestinian talks, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the leaders of both sides to surmount domestic political pressures and take “bold steps” to achieve peace in the region.
With proximity talks under way, “it is vital for the parties to refrain from provocations and seize this opportunity,” Mr. Ban said in a message to a United Nations meeting under way in Lisbon, Portugal.
A two-State solution is vital for Israel “to maintain its democratic character and identity and gain security and legitimacy throughout the region,” he stressed, adding that it is also essential for Palestinians “to achieve genuine freedom and national self-determination, and to end the occupation.”
In the address, delivered by Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Mr. Ban cautioned that the clock is ticking for a two-State solution.
Earlier this month, in a move welcomed by the Secretary-General and other UN officials, the Israeli Government announced it was increasing the scope and quantity of materials allowed into Gaza. Since then, new food and productive items have entered the Strip and the volume of imports into the area has risen steadily.
Mr. Ban today welcomed recent Israeli moves towards a new policy on Gaza, but stressed that “full and swift implementation is crucial, as are further measures beyond those announced,” as well as an end to the blockade.
For its part, he emphasized, Hamas should enforce an extended ceasefire and move ahead with Egypt’s reconciliation proposals with the “legitimate Palestinian Authority of President [Mahmoud] Abbas.”
On the issue of prisoners, the Secretary-General said that he continues to call for the conclusion of a prisoner exchange agreement. “It serves no Palestinian interest to keep Corporal Gilad Shalit in captivity; access should be granted to him and he should be released,” Mr. Ban said about the Israeli soldier who has been detained for more than four years.
The media seminar being held in the Portuguese capital is the 18th such gathering organized by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), and aims to sensitize public opinion on the issue of Palestine and the peace process.
“The growing use of new media in the Middle East offers truly exciting opportunities to reach wider audiences, particularly young people,” the Secretary-General said today.
“I encourage young Israelis and Palestinians to use these new tools to spread positive messages that will encourage a culture of peace, coexistence and better understanding between their people”
The focus of this year’s gathering is the role of women from both sides in achieving security in the Middle East, with this year marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the historic Security Council resolution 1325, which stresses the importance of giving women equal participation and full involvement in peace and security matters.
“The core message of that landmark text – sustainable peace is possible only with the perspectives, leadership and full participation of women – is one we must take to heart in all regions, including the Middle East,” Mr. Ban told the Lisbon event, voicing hope that both sides will step up women’s involvement in the search for peace.
Some 120 people from the region, including both Israelis and Palestinians, and from the rest of the world are expected to attend the two-day seminar which kicked off today, including Government officials, representatives of civil society organizations, academics and journalists.
Five panel sessions will be held during the seminar on topics such as the role of the Israeli and Palestinian media in reducing tensions and the part that mayors from both sides can play in advancing peace.
The participants include Jorge Sampaio, the former Portuguese president and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, set up under UN auspices to promote better cross-cultural relations worldwide, and Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
(UN: New York, Jul 22 2010)
With the coming weeks critical in moving towards direct Israeli-Palestinian talks, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the leaders of both sides to surmount domestic political pressures and take “bold steps” to achieve peace in the region.
With proximity talks under way, “it is vital for the parties to refrain from provocations and seize this opportunity,” Mr. Ban said in a message to a United Nations meeting under way in Lisbon, Portugal.
A two-State solution is vital for Israel “to maintain its democratic character and identity and gain security and legitimacy throughout the region,” he stressed, adding that it is also essential for Palestinians “to achieve genuine freedom and national self-determination, and to end the occupation.”
In the address, delivered by Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Mr. Ban cautioned that the clock is ticking for a two-State solution.
Earlier this month, in a move welcomed by the Secretary-General and other UN officials, the Israeli Government announced it was increasing the scope and quantity of materials allowed into Gaza. Since then, new food and productive items have entered the Strip and the volume of imports into the area has risen steadily.
Mr. Ban today welcomed recent Israeli moves towards a new policy on Gaza, but stressed that “full and swift implementation is crucial, as are further measures beyond those announced,” as well as an end to the blockade.
For its part, he emphasized, Hamas should enforce an extended ceasefire and move ahead with Egypt’s reconciliation proposals with the “legitimate Palestinian Authority of President [Mahmoud] Abbas.”
On the issue of prisoners, the Secretary-General said that he continues to call for the conclusion of a prisoner exchange agreement. “It serves no Palestinian interest to keep Corporal Gilad Shalit in captivity; access should be granted to him and he should be released,” Mr. Ban said about the Israeli soldier who has been detained for more than four years.
The media seminar being held in the Portuguese capital is the 18th such gathering organized by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), and aims to sensitize public opinion on the issue of Palestine and the peace process.
“The growing use of new media in the Middle East offers truly exciting opportunities to reach wider audiences, particularly young people,” the Secretary-General said today.
“I encourage young Israelis and Palestinians to use these new tools to spread positive messages that will encourage a culture of peace, coexistence and better understanding between their people”
The focus of this year’s gathering is the role of women from both sides in achieving security in the Middle East, with this year marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the historic Security Council resolution 1325, which stresses the importance of giving women equal participation and full involvement in peace and security matters.
“The core message of that landmark text – sustainable peace is possible only with the perspectives, leadership and full participation of women – is one we must take to heart in all regions, including the Middle East,” Mr. Ban told the Lisbon event, voicing hope that both sides will step up women’s involvement in the search for peace.
Some 120 people from the region, including both Israelis and Palestinians, and from the rest of the world are expected to attend the two-day seminar which kicked off today, including Government officials, representatives of civil society organizations, academics and journalists.
Five panel sessions will be held during the seminar on topics such as the role of the Israeli and Palestinian media in reducing tensions and the part that mayors from both sides can play in advancing peace.
The participants include Jorge Sampaio, the former Portuguese president and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, set up under UN auspices to promote better cross-cultural relations worldwide, and Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
(UN: New York, Jul 22 2010)
Kinderen uit Gaza willen wereldrecord basketball verbreken op zomerspelen
GAZA’S CHILDREN BOUNCE THEIR WAY INTO RECORD BOOKS AT UN SUMMER SPORTING EVENT
More than 7,200 children in Gaza today simultaneously bounced basketballs, putting them on track to set their second world record in as many years, as part of an annual summer sporting event organized by the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees.
Today’s record of 7,203 balls dribbled more than doubles the previous record set in 2007 in the United States, where just over 3,000 balls were bounced.
John Ging, Director of the UN Relief and Works Agency UNRWA, took a cautious approach, noting that a final verdict from the Guinness Book of World Records is expected in the coming days.
“But certainly we know the figures and the chances look good,” he said.
Mr. Ging expressed his gratitude to the children of Gaza, “without whom this could never have happened.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had earlier expressed his support in a video message. “I want to congratulate the children of Gaza for taking part in this great event. You are showing the world that if you are given the opportunity… you can be number one!”
But the area’s young people are not content with smashing one world record this summer.
Later this week, they are expected to set a separate world record for the number of kites flown simultaneously – a record they themselves set during last year’s Summer Games, when nearly 4,000 kites were hoisted in the air.
“Two world records in a week is surely another world record in itself,” Mr. Ging marvelled, calling on children around the world to send their support to their counterparts in Gaza as they gear up to best their performance from last summer.
For the past month, people from all corners of the globe have been invited to express their encouragement and hope on the website <"http://www.facebook.com/unrwa">www.facebook.com/unrwa.
UNRWA’s Summer Games, now in their fourth year, engage more than a quarter of a million refugee children across Gaza in such activities as sports, arts and crafts, theatre and drama. As the largest recreation programme for Gaza’s children, it is providing 1,200 summer camps for the duration of the Games, which run from 12 June through 5 August this year.
(VN: Jul 22 2010)
----------------
GAZA’S CHILDREN SET TO BREAK WORLD RECORDS AT UN-BACKED SUMMER RECREATION EVENT
Thousands of children in the Gaza Strip will attempt to smash the world record for the number of basketballs bounced simultaneously in one of the more novel activities that are part of an annual sporting event organized by the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees.
Tomorrow, at the Summer Games, these children will seek to break the current world record, which was set in the United States in September 2007. The number of balls dribbled then was just over 3,000, a figure they hope to double.
“I have total confidence that the kids of Gaza will break this world record,” said John Ging, the Director in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, in a press release issued by UNRWA. “With their extraordinary determination and capacity to rise to a challenge, the children here can do anything.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also expressed his support in a video message. “I want to congratulate the children of Gaza for taking part in this great event. You are showing the world that if you are given the opportunity… you can be number one!”
Later this week, the children are expected to set a separate world record for the number of kites flown simultaneously – a record they themselves set during the Games last year.
“Two world records in a week is surely another world record in itself,” said Mr. Ging, “and I invite children everywhere to go to our blog and send support.” He was referrring to a Facebook page set up by UNRWA where, for the past month, bloggers from around the world have been invited to send messages of support and hope to the children of Gaza.
UNRWA’s Summer Games, now in their fourth year, engage more than a quarter of a million refugee children across Gaza in such activities as sports, arts and crafts, theatre and drama. As the largest recreation programme for Gaza’s children, it is providing 1,200 summer camps for the duration of the Games, which run from 12 June through 5 August this year.
(VN: Jul 21 2010)
More than 7,200 children in Gaza today simultaneously bounced basketballs, putting them on track to set their second world record in as many years, as part of an annual summer sporting event organized by the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees.
Today’s record of 7,203 balls dribbled more than doubles the previous record set in 2007 in the United States, where just over 3,000 balls were bounced.
John Ging, Director of the UN Relief and Works Agency UNRWA, took a cautious approach, noting that a final verdict from the Guinness Book of World Records is expected in the coming days.
“But certainly we know the figures and the chances look good,” he said.
Mr. Ging expressed his gratitude to the children of Gaza, “without whom this could never have happened.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had earlier expressed his support in a video message. “I want to congratulate the children of Gaza for taking part in this great event. You are showing the world that if you are given the opportunity… you can be number one!”
But the area’s young people are not content with smashing one world record this summer.
Later this week, they are expected to set a separate world record for the number of kites flown simultaneously – a record they themselves set during last year’s Summer Games, when nearly 4,000 kites were hoisted in the air.
“Two world records in a week is surely another world record in itself,” Mr. Ging marvelled, calling on children around the world to send their support to their counterparts in Gaza as they gear up to best their performance from last summer.
For the past month, people from all corners of the globe have been invited to express their encouragement and hope on the website <"http://www.facebook.com/unrwa">www.facebook.com/unrwa.
UNRWA’s Summer Games, now in their fourth year, engage more than a quarter of a million refugee children across Gaza in such activities as sports, arts and crafts, theatre and drama. As the largest recreation programme for Gaza’s children, it is providing 1,200 summer camps for the duration of the Games, which run from 12 June through 5 August this year.
(VN: Jul 22 2010)
----------------
GAZA’S CHILDREN SET TO BREAK WORLD RECORDS AT UN-BACKED SUMMER RECREATION EVENT
Thousands of children in the Gaza Strip will attempt to smash the world record for the number of basketballs bounced simultaneously in one of the more novel activities that are part of an annual sporting event organized by the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees.
Tomorrow, at the Summer Games, these children will seek to break the current world record, which was set in the United States in September 2007. The number of balls dribbled then was just over 3,000, a figure they hope to double.
“I have total confidence that the kids of Gaza will break this world record,” said John Ging, the Director in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, in a press release issued by UNRWA. “With their extraordinary determination and capacity to rise to a challenge, the children here can do anything.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also expressed his support in a video message. “I want to congratulate the children of Gaza for taking part in this great event. You are showing the world that if you are given the opportunity… you can be number one!”
Later this week, the children are expected to set a separate world record for the number of kites flown simultaneously – a record they themselves set during the Games last year.
“Two world records in a week is surely another world record in itself,” said Mr. Ging, “and I invite children everywhere to go to our blog and send support.” He was referrring to a Facebook page set up by UNRWA where, for the past month, bloggers from around the world have been invited to send messages of support and hope to the children of Gaza.
UNRWA’s Summer Games, now in their fourth year, engage more than a quarter of a million refugee children across Gaza in such activities as sports, arts and crafts, theatre and drama. As the largest recreation programme for Gaza’s children, it is providing 1,200 summer camps for the duration of the Games, which run from 12 June through 5 August this year.
(VN: Jul 21 2010)
Ban en Netanyahu bespreken Gaza en vrede in Midden-Oosten
Eerder deze maand hebben VN-secrataris-generaal Ban Ki-moon en de Israelische minsiter-president Netanyahu gepraat over vrede in het Midden-Oosten en de situatie in Gaza.
De verklaring van de VN over deze ontmoeting:
GAZA AND MIDDLE EAST PEACE AMONG ISSUES DISCUSSED BY BAN AND ISRAELI LEADER
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today at United Nations Headquarters in New York, where they discussed a number of issues including the Middle East peace process and the situation in Gaza.
The UN chief has welcomed the additional measures announced this week by Israel in increasing the scope and quantity of materials allowed into Gaza, and said he hoped they will lead to an improvement in the situation of the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the territory.
He and other UN officials have repeatedly called for ending the blockade against Gaza, which Israel imposed on the territory for what it called security reasons after Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, ousted the Fatah movement in the Strip in 2007.
Mr. Ban and Mr. Netanyahu also covered, among other topics, Lebanon and Security Council (2006) resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizbollah.
Their meeting also included a one-on-one discussion, according to the Secretary-General’s spokesperson.
(VN, 7 juli 2010)
De verklaring van de VN over deze ontmoeting:
GAZA AND MIDDLE EAST PEACE AMONG ISSUES DISCUSSED BY BAN AND ISRAELI LEADER
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today at United Nations Headquarters in New York, where they discussed a number of issues including the Middle East peace process and the situation in Gaza.
The UN chief has welcomed the additional measures announced this week by Israel in increasing the scope and quantity of materials allowed into Gaza, and said he hoped they will lead to an improvement in the situation of the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the territory.
He and other UN officials have repeatedly called for ending the blockade against Gaza, which Israel imposed on the territory for what it called security reasons after Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, ousted the Fatah movement in the Strip in 2007.
Mr. Ban and Mr. Netanyahu also covered, among other topics, Lebanon and Security Council (2006) resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hizbollah.
Their meeting also included a one-on-one discussion, according to the Secretary-General’s spokesperson.
(VN, 7 juli 2010)
dinsdag 29 juni 2010
Militanten vallen VN-kinderkamp aan in Nuseirat in de Gaza-strook
Ongeveer 25 gemaskerde en gewapende mannen hebben maandag een zomerkamp voor kinderen van de Verenigde Naties op het strand van Nuseirat in de Gazastrook in brand gestoken. Dat hebben functionarissen en ooggetuigen gemeld.
De groep militanten viel bewakers aan en zette het gebouw vervolgens in brand. De Verenigde Naties hebben de aanval veroordeeld.
De verklaring van de VN, waarin de aanval als laf wordt bestempeld:
GAZA: UN OFFICIAL CONDEMNS LATEST ATTACK ON CHILDREN’S RECREATIONAL FACILITY
The head of United Nations relief operations in Gaza has deplored this morning’s attack on a recreational facility used by children in the territory, the second such incident in a month.
A group of about 25 armed and masked men attacked and set fire to the facility on the beach in Nuseirat that was being used to host the Summer Games, run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
No one was hurt in the incident, which follows a similar attack on 23 May when a group of 30 armed and masked men attacked and set fire to an UNRWA Summer Games facility that was under construction on the beach in Gaza City.
“Cowardly and despicable” is how John Ging, UNRWA’s Director of Operations in Gaza, described today’s attack. “The overwhelming success of UNRWA’s Summer Games has once again obviously frustrated those that are intolerant of children’s happiness,” he added.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called the Summer Games, which is in its fourth year, “a rare opportunity for relief from the deprivations and difficulties of everyday life in Gaza,” which has suffered from a three-year-long blockade imposed by Israel for what it called security reasons after Hamas took power there in 2007.
Mr. Ging said the attack will not deter UNRWA from continuing with the annual event, which is the largest recreation programme for Gaza’s children providing, among others, sports, swimming, arts and crafts, and drama.
“UNRWA will rebuild the camp immediately and will continue with its Summer Games programme which is so important for the physical and psychological well-being of Gaza’s children, so many of whom are stressed and traumatized by their circumstances and experiences,” he stated.
“This is another example of the growing levels of extremism in Gaza and further evidence, if that were needed, of the urgency to change the circumstances on the ground that are generating such extremism,” he added.
The Summer Games began on 12 June and will run through 5 August, providing 1,200 summer camps for more than 250,000 refugee children across Gaza.
(New York, Jun 28 2010)
De groep militanten viel bewakers aan en zette het gebouw vervolgens in brand. De Verenigde Naties hebben de aanval veroordeeld.
De verklaring van de VN, waarin de aanval als laf wordt bestempeld:
GAZA: UN OFFICIAL CONDEMNS LATEST ATTACK ON CHILDREN’S RECREATIONAL FACILITY
The head of United Nations relief operations in Gaza has deplored this morning’s attack on a recreational facility used by children in the territory, the second such incident in a month.
A group of about 25 armed and masked men attacked and set fire to the facility on the beach in Nuseirat that was being used to host the Summer Games, run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
No one was hurt in the incident, which follows a similar attack on 23 May when a group of 30 armed and masked men attacked and set fire to an UNRWA Summer Games facility that was under construction on the beach in Gaza City.
“Cowardly and despicable” is how John Ging, UNRWA’s Director of Operations in Gaza, described today’s attack. “The overwhelming success of UNRWA’s Summer Games has once again obviously frustrated those that are intolerant of children’s happiness,” he added.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called the Summer Games, which is in its fourth year, “a rare opportunity for relief from the deprivations and difficulties of everyday life in Gaza,” which has suffered from a three-year-long blockade imposed by Israel for what it called security reasons after Hamas took power there in 2007.
Mr. Ging said the attack will not deter UNRWA from continuing with the annual event, which is the largest recreation programme for Gaza’s children providing, among others, sports, swimming, arts and crafts, and drama.
“UNRWA will rebuild the camp immediately and will continue with its Summer Games programme which is so important for the physical and psychological well-being of Gaza’s children, so many of whom are stressed and traumatized by their circumstances and experiences,” he stated.
“This is another example of the growing levels of extremism in Gaza and further evidence, if that were needed, of the urgency to change the circumstances on the ground that are generating such extremism,” he added.
The Summer Games began on 12 June and will run through 5 August, providing 1,200 summer camps for more than 250,000 refugee children across Gaza.
(New York, Jun 28 2010)
vrijdag 18 juni 2010
Ban Ki-moon hoopt dat verlichting blokkade Gaza leven verbetert
Secretaris-generaal Ban Ki-moon van de Verenigde Naties heeft de hoop uitgesproken dat de Israëlische afzwakking van de blokkade van Gaza het leven in de strook land zal verbeteren. De volkenorganisatie is gereed om de hulpverlening aan de Gaza-strook op te voeren.
De verklaring van de VN:
UN CHIEF HOPES EASING OF ISRAELI BLOCKADE WILL HELP IMPROVE LIVES IN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he hopes
“The Secretary-General is encouraged that the Israeli Government is reviewing its policy towards Gaza, and he hopes that today’s decision by the Israeli security cabinet is a real step towards meeting needs in Gaza,” his spokesperson said in a statement.
Mr. Ban has asked Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordination for the Middle East Peace Process, to immediately engage the Israeli Government to learn more about the decision and the additional measures needed to implement it.
The UN chief has repeatedly called for ending the blockade, which
He did so most recently in the wake of the 31 May incident in which
The UN, according to today’s statement, continues to seek “a fundamental change in policy” so that humanitarian assistance, commercial goods and people are able to flow through functioning open crossings, and reconstruction can take place.
The world body stands ready to scale up its efforts to help
Chris Gunness, spokesman for the UN agency that assists Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, reacted to
At the same time, he stressed that “for life for the Palestinians in
Mr. Gunness described the life of an ordinary Palestinian as grim, noting that the number of people who say they cannot feed their families has tripled in the last year to 300,000.
According to a UN report released last week, the ongoing Israeli blockade undermines prospects for employment and growth in
“The longer the closure continues, the more it undermines future prospects of workers and their families, in particular of the younger generation,” said the report, which was prepared by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the health system in
The blockade has meant that spare parts and replacements cannot be imported or only with great delays, engineers are unable to enter
For example, a $700,000 replacement for a derelict CT scanner for Shifa hospital in
“These essential items are just one example of the effects of the siege on
(VN:
Zie ook:
VN-Veiligheidsraad veroordeelt dodelijke aanval op Gaza-hulpkonvooi
maandag 14 juni 2010
VN-Veiligheidsraad veroordeelt dodelijke aanval op Gaza-hulpkonvooi
De Veiligheidsraad van de Verenigde Naties veroordeelde eerder deze maand de Israelische aanval op een konvooi hulpschepen dat op weg was naar Gaza. Bij de aanval vonden 9 opvarenden van het hulpkonvooi de dood en raakten tientallen mensen gewond.
SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS DEADLY RAID ON GAZA AID SHIPS
The Security Council today condemned Monday’s deadly Israeli military interception of a convoy of aid ships bound for Gaza, calling for a “prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation.”
At least ten people were killed when Israeli forces took control of a six-ship flotilla yesterday morning in international waters, according to press reports. The convoy was said to have been carrying educational, medical and construction materials, as well as hundreds of activists from different countries.
In the run-up to yesterday’s incident, which was also condemned by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other United Nations officials, Israel has stated it would not let the vessels reach Gaza. The UN urged last week “that all involved act with a sense of care and responsibility and work for a satisfactory resolution.”
In a presidential statement issued early this morning, the Council said that it “deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries resulting from the use of force during the Israeli military operation in international waters against the convoy sailing to Gaza.”
The 15-member body called on Israel to immediately release the ships and civilians sailing on them, allow the countries involved to retrieve their deceased and wounded, and ensure the delivery of the humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The Council stressed that “the situation in Gaza is not sustainable,” again voicing its “grave concern” over the humanitarian situation in the area and emphasizing the need for the regular movement of goods and people.
The UN has repeatedly spoken out against the closure of Gaza and raised concern over the insufficient flow of material into the area to meet basic needs and spur reconstruction. Mr. Ban cautioned in a recent meeting that the closure “creates unacceptable suffering, hurts forces of moderation and empowers extremists.”
The Council today underscored that the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “an agreement negotiated between the parties,” reiterating that “only a two-State solution, with an independent and viable Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel and is other neighbours, could bring peace to the region.”
Voicing support for the proximity talks that started between the two sides last month, the Council urged the parties to act with restraint and avoid unilateral and provocative moves.
The UN Human Rights Council is holding a special meeting in Geneva on yesterday’s incident.
(VN: Jun, 1 2010)
SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS DEADLY RAID ON GAZA AID SHIPS
The Security Council today condemned Monday’s deadly Israeli military interception of a convoy of aid ships bound for Gaza, calling for a “prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation.”
At least ten people were killed when Israeli forces took control of a six-ship flotilla yesterday morning in international waters, according to press reports. The convoy was said to have been carrying educational, medical and construction materials, as well as hundreds of activists from different countries.
In the run-up to yesterday’s incident, which was also condemned by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other United Nations officials, Israel has stated it would not let the vessels reach Gaza. The UN urged last week “that all involved act with a sense of care and responsibility and work for a satisfactory resolution.”
In a presidential statement issued early this morning, the Council said that it “deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries resulting from the use of force during the Israeli military operation in international waters against the convoy sailing to Gaza.”
The 15-member body called on Israel to immediately release the ships and civilians sailing on them, allow the countries involved to retrieve their deceased and wounded, and ensure the delivery of the humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The Council stressed that “the situation in Gaza is not sustainable,” again voicing its “grave concern” over the humanitarian situation in the area and emphasizing the need for the regular movement of goods and people.
The UN has repeatedly spoken out against the closure of Gaza and raised concern over the insufficient flow of material into the area to meet basic needs and spur reconstruction. Mr. Ban cautioned in a recent meeting that the closure “creates unacceptable suffering, hurts forces of moderation and empowers extremists.”
The Council today underscored that the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “an agreement negotiated between the parties,” reiterating that “only a two-State solution, with an independent and viable Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel and is other neighbours, could bring peace to the region.”
Voicing support for the proximity talks that started between the two sides last month, the Council urged the parties to act with restraint and avoid unilateral and provocative moves.
The UN Human Rights Council is holding a special meeting in Geneva on yesterday’s incident.
(VN: Jun, 1 2010)
zondag 23 mei 2010
Wederopbouw Gaza stokt door blokkade van Israël
De schade die 18 maanden geleden werd aangericht tijdens het offensief van Israël in de Gazastrook is nog lang niet hersteld. Een woordvoerder van de Verenigde Naties wijt de stagnerende wederopbouw aan de Israëlische blokkade.
Door de blokkade die al 3 jaar duurt kunnen bouwmaterialen niet worden ingevoerd. Alleen kleinere spullen kunnen Gaza binnengebracht worden via de tunnels aan de grens met Egypte.
De verklaring van de VN
GAZA STILL AWAITING RECONSTRUCTION OVER A YEAR AFTER ISRAELI OFFENSIVE, UN REPORT FINDS
Sixteen months after an Israeli military offensive inflicted widespread damage in the Gaza Strip, about three quarters of the damaged buildings and infrastructure have still not been repaired, a new United Nations report says.
The report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), produced in partnership with the Gaza-based Engineering and Management Consulting Center, estimates that another $527 million will need to be spent to reconstruct all the buildings damaged during Operation Cast Lead, which took place in December 2008 and January 2009.
About $173 million has already been provided through compensation and grants to carry out mostly small-scale repairs, according to the report, One Year After, which was issued today. Those repairs have often been conducted using recycled rubble and other materials brought in from Egypt via cross-border tunnels becau
se of the Israeli blockade of Gaza, instituted for what it called security reasons after Hamas took power there in 2007.
Israel launched the 23-day Operation Cast Lead at the end of 2008 with the stated aim of trying to halt repeated rocket attacks against it from Gaza. More than 1,400 people were killed and at least 5,000 others were injured.
The report -- which focuses on both early recovery and reconstruction needs -- says educational facilities such as schools are among the categories of buildings hardest hit since the offensive. More than 82 per cent of such facilities remain unrepaired or unreconstructed today.
Private homes are also affected, with almost none of the 3,425 homes that were destroyed in the conflict having been reconstructed. An estimated 75 per cent of agricultural land and premises and 60 per cent of private businesses are also still damaged.
But the report notes that Gaza has been assisted by $151 million given by donors in the form of job-generation schem
es, food aid and other projects.
Gaza also experienced "a degree of economic recovery" last year, with a fall in unemployment rates, a rise in the number of operating industrial facilities as well as continued informal trade through the tunnels.
"However, the sustainability of this limited recovery is questionable," the report states, citing the declining purchasing power of the estimated 1.5 million Palestinians living in Gaza and their dependence on outside aid.
(VN, May 23, 2010)
Door de blokkade die al 3 jaar duurt kunnen bouwmaterialen niet worden ingevoerd. Alleen kleinere spullen kunnen Gaza binnengebracht worden via de tunnels aan de grens met Egypte.
De verklaring van de VN
GAZA STILL AWAITING RECONSTRUCTION OVER A YEAR AFTER ISRAELI OFFENSIVE, UN REPORT FINDS
Sixteen months after an Israeli military offensive inflicted widespread damage in the Gaza Strip, about three quarters of the damaged buildings and infrastructure have still not been repaired, a new United Nations report says.
The report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), produced in partnership with the Gaza-based Engineering and Management Consulting Center, estimates that another $527 million will need to be spent to reconstruct all the buildings damaged during Operation Cast Lead, which took place in December 2008 and January 2009.
About $173 million has already been provided through compensation and grants to carry out mostly small-scale repairs, according to the report, One Year After, which was issued today. Those repairs have often been conducted using recycled rubble and other materials brought in from Egypt via cross-border tunnels becau
se of the Israeli blockade of Gaza, instituted for what it called security reasons after Hamas took power there in 2007.
Israel launched the 23-day Operation Cast Lead at the end of 2008 with the stated aim of trying to halt repeated rocket attacks against it from Gaza. More than 1,400 people were killed and at least 5,000 others were injured.
The report -- which focuses on both early recovery and reconstruction needs -- says educational facilities such as schools are among the categories of buildings hardest hit since the offensive. More than 82 per cent of such facilities remain unrepaired or unreconstructed today.
Private homes are also affected, with almost none of the 3,425 homes that were destroyed in the conflict having been reconstructed. An estimated 75 per cent of agricultural land and premises and 60 per cent of private businesses are also still damaged.
But the report notes that Gaza has been assisted by $151 million given by donors in the form of job-generation schem
es, food aid and other projects.
Gaza also experienced "a degree of economic recovery" last year, with a fall in unemployment rates, a rise in the number of operating industrial facilities as well as continued informal trade through the tunnels.
"However, the sustainability of this limited recovery is questionable," the report states, citing the declining purchasing power of the estimated 1.5 million Palestinians living in Gaza and their dependence on outside aid.
(VN, May 23, 2010)
dinsdag 27 april 2010
Verlichten van blokkade Gaza pijnlijk onvoldoende
ISRAELI EASING OF GAZA BLOCKADE PAINFULLY INSUFFICIENT, SENIOR UN OFFICIAL SAYS
The recent easing of some Israeli restrictions on the entry of goods into Gaza is welcome but infinitesimal when compared to the needs of the 1.5 million Palestinians living there, the top United Nations official in the Strip said today.
“[It is] a drop in the bucket,” said John Ging, Director of Operations in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), at a news conference in New York, repeating the categorization used by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on his visit to the Strip last month.
“A drop in the bucket, of course, is not a half-full glass,” he said of Israel’s agreement to allow in some supplies of clothing, wood and aluminium, the latter needed for a prime UN objective – rebuilding UNRWA schools devastated by Israel’s military offensive against Gaza’s Hamas authorities 18 months ago. “The context is so great, the scale of the need is so large.”
Mr. Ging noted that a conference in Sharm el-Sheikh last year put a price tag of $4.5 billion on the reconstruction and recovery of Gaza. “That’s $4.5 billion, at the moment, of despair and misery until such time that recovery and reconstruction gets under way,” he said.
UNRWA cannot cater to the thousands of children with the right to education under UN resolutions as refugees. Gazans are “demanding of us to accommodate their children in our schools. They have not been allowed to build a school in Gaza for three years,” he added. Israel imposed its blockade for what it called security reasons after Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, ousted the Fatah movement in the Strip in 2007.
Mr. Ging said the recent easing, including a monthly allowance of 25 truckloads of aluminium, is “very welcome, welcome not just for the physical impact that they [the goods] have, even though it is quite insignificant in the larger scale, [but] for the psychological impact that it has because it is the first positive step, and secondly for the practical proof that it provides that it can be done.
“So if we can have 25 truckloads of aluminium a month, then why not 50, and if we can have 50, then why not 100 and so on?” he asked, noting that at the monthly rate of 25 it would take five and a half months to bring in all the aluminium needed for the schools.
The arguments put forward to justify the blockade are now being undermined by these positive developments “because it is now demonstrated that there are ways of overcoming the security challenges and that’s what we want to build on now, capitalize on what is now the possible and expand it to the maximum extent,” he added.
He gave the same overall grim picture of the impact of the blockade as in previous accounts. “It’s bewilderingly difficult for them on a daily basis. It’s a struggle to survive [with] the infrastructure and water and sanitation in a state of collapse and all that goes with that,” he said, stressing that there is no prospect for restoring a legitimate economy because there is no commercial trade into or out of Gaza.
“That leads to the impoverishment of the people, and the physical suffering of so many continues on a daily basis, not just physical suffering, but psychological suffering because people are at their wits’ end to understand when all of this will come to an end.”
He concluded with an impassioned plea to ease the Gazans’ plight. “It’s time to put the people before the politics. If we do prioritize the people, and if we do focus on the needs of the people, in many of our views, that will make the politics easier moving forward. Ignore the people, abandon the people, leave the people to despair and desperation, and that will make the politics more difficult going forward,” he added.
(VN: 22-04-2010)
The recent easing of some Israeli restrictions on the entry of goods into Gaza is welcome but infinitesimal when compared to the needs of the 1.5 million Palestinians living there, the top United Nations official in the Strip said today.
“[It is] a drop in the bucket,” said John Ging, Director of Operations in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), at a news conference in New York, repeating the categorization used by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on his visit to the Strip last month.
“A drop in the bucket, of course, is not a half-full glass,” he said of Israel’s agreement to allow in some supplies of clothing, wood and aluminium, the latter needed for a prime UN objective – rebuilding UNRWA schools devastated by Israel’s military offensive against Gaza’s Hamas authorities 18 months ago. “The context is so great, the scale of the need is so large.”
Mr. Ging noted that a conference in Sharm el-Sheikh last year put a price tag of $4.5 billion on the reconstruction and recovery of Gaza. “That’s $4.5 billion, at the moment, of despair and misery until such time that recovery and reconstruction gets under way,” he said.
UNRWA cannot cater to the thousands of children with the right to education under UN resolutions as refugees. Gazans are “demanding of us to accommodate their children in our schools. They have not been allowed to build a school in Gaza for three years,” he added. Israel imposed its blockade for what it called security reasons after Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, ousted the Fatah movement in the Strip in 2007.
Mr. Ging said the recent easing, including a monthly allowance of 25 truckloads of aluminium, is “very welcome, welcome not just for the physical impact that they [the goods] have, even though it is quite insignificant in the larger scale, [but] for the psychological impact that it has because it is the first positive step, and secondly for the practical proof that it provides that it can be done.
“So if we can have 25 truckloads of aluminium a month, then why not 50, and if we can have 50, then why not 100 and so on?” he asked, noting that at the monthly rate of 25 it would take five and a half months to bring in all the aluminium needed for the schools.
The arguments put forward to justify the blockade are now being undermined by these positive developments “because it is now demonstrated that there are ways of overcoming the security challenges and that’s what we want to build on now, capitalize on what is now the possible and expand it to the maximum extent,” he added.
He gave the same overall grim picture of the impact of the blockade as in previous accounts. “It’s bewilderingly difficult for them on a daily basis. It’s a struggle to survive [with] the infrastructure and water and sanitation in a state of collapse and all that goes with that,” he said, stressing that there is no prospect for restoring a legitimate economy because there is no commercial trade into or out of Gaza.
“That leads to the impoverishment of the people, and the physical suffering of so many continues on a daily basis, not just physical suffering, but psychological suffering because people are at their wits’ end to understand when all of this will come to an end.”
He concluded with an impassioned plea to ease the Gazans’ plight. “It’s time to put the people before the politics. If we do prioritize the people, and if we do focus on the needs of the people, in many of our views, that will make the politics easier moving forward. Ignore the people, abandon the people, leave the people to despair and desperation, and that will make the politics more difficult going forward,” he added.
(VN: 22-04-2010)
zaterdag 27 maart 2010
VN-mensenrechteraad wil onafhankelijk onderzoek naar conflict Gaza
De Mensenrechtenraad van de Verenigde Naties heeft Israel en de Palestijnse Autoriteit opgeroepen om een onafhankelijk onderzoek uit te voeren naar de dodelijke oorlog die in de winter van 2009 in Gaza werd gevoerd.
De oorlog die 3 weken duurde kostte aan meer dan 1400 mensen het leven. Er vielen meer dan 5000 gewonden. Huizen, scholen, markten en ziekenhuizen veranderden in puin.
De verklaring van de VN over de oproep:
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO GAZA CONFLICT
The United Nations Human Rights Council today, echoing the General Assembly, called on the Israeli Government and the Palestinian side to carry out independent and credible investigations into the deadly conflict in the Gaza Strip that ended early last year.
Those inquiries, the Council said in Geneva, must look into the serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law reported by the fact-finding mission into the Operation Cast Lead, the three-week Israeli military offensive starting at the end of 2008 that had the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by militants operating in the area.
The fighting left more than 1,400 people dead, injured 5,000 others and reduced homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces to rubble.
The Goldstone Report, as it has become known, found that both Israeli forces and Palestinian militants were guilty of serious human rights violations and breaches of humanitarian law during the Gaza conflict, which began in late December 2008. The General Assembly has endorsed the mission’s findings.
The four-member fact-finding team headed by former UN war crimes prosecutor Justice Richard Goldstone, set up at the request of the Human Rights Council, called on the two sides to carry out independent investigations into their actions during the conflict.
The Human Rights Council today also called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to look into setting up an escrow fund to provide reparations to Palestinians who suffered losses as a result of unlawful Israeli actions during the conflict.
It also decided to establish a committee of independent experts to monitor the independence, effective and genuineness of the investigations and their conformity with international standards.
Earlier this month, the General Assembly also appealed for independent investigations by Israel and the Palestinians, reiterating a call by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a follow-up report to the Goldstone Report that they must conform with “international standards into the serious violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law reported by the fact-finding mission, towards ensuring accountability and justice.”
During its meeting in Geneva today, the Human Rights Council also took action on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur covering the Asian nation for one year, Vitit Muntarbhorn.
(VN, 25-03-2010)
Op 25 maart nam de Mensenrechtenraad van de VN in Geneve 5 resoluties tegen Israël aan.
De oorlog die 3 weken duurde kostte aan meer dan 1400 mensen het leven. Er vielen meer dan 5000 gewonden. Huizen, scholen, markten en ziekenhuizen veranderden in puin.
De verklaring van de VN over de oproep:
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO GAZA CONFLICT
The United Nations Human Rights Council today, echoing the General Assembly, called on the Israeli Government and the Palestinian side to carry out independent and credible investigations into the deadly conflict in the Gaza Strip that ended early last year.
Those inquiries, the Council said in Geneva, must look into the serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law reported by the fact-finding mission into the Operation Cast Lead, the three-week Israeli military offensive starting at the end of 2008 that had the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by militants operating in the area.
The fighting left more than 1,400 people dead, injured 5,000 others and reduced homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces to rubble.
The Goldstone Report, as it has become known, found that both Israeli forces and Palestinian militants were guilty of serious human rights violations and breaches of humanitarian law during the Gaza conflict, which began in late December 2008. The General Assembly has endorsed the mission’s findings.
The four-member fact-finding team headed by former UN war crimes prosecutor Justice Richard Goldstone, set up at the request of the Human Rights Council, called on the two sides to carry out independent investigations into their actions during the conflict.
The Human Rights Council today also called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to look into setting up an escrow fund to provide reparations to Palestinians who suffered losses as a result of unlawful Israeli actions during the conflict.
It also decided to establish a committee of independent experts to monitor the independence, effective and genuineness of the investigations and their conformity with international standards.
Earlier this month, the General Assembly also appealed for independent investigations by Israel and the Palestinians, reiterating a call by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a follow-up report to the Goldstone Report that they must conform with “international standards into the serious violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law reported by the fact-finding mission, towards ensuring accountability and justice.”
During its meeting in Geneva today, the Human Rights Council also took action on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur covering the Asian nation for one year, Vitit Muntarbhorn.
(VN, 25-03-2010)
Op 25 maart nam de Mensenrechtenraad van de VN in Geneve 5 resoluties tegen Israël aan.
zaterdag 20 maart 2010
VN-chef Ban Ki-moon veroordeelt raketaanval uit Gaza op Israel
VN-secretaris-generaal Ban Ki-moon heeft een aanval met een raket vanuit de Gaza-strook op Israel scherp veroordeeld. Door de aanval vond een buitenlandse landbouwdeskundige de dood.
BAN CONDEMNS ROCKET ATTACK FROM GAZA INTO ISRAEL
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned today’s rocket attack from Gaza which killed a civilian in Israel, stressing that all acts of violence are “totally unacceptable.”
The rocket reportedly struck the Netiv Ha'assera kibbutz in southern Israel killing a foreign agricultural worker.
“All such acts of terror and violence against civilians are totally unacceptable and contrary to international law,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement issued in Moscow, where the Secretary-General will be meeting with other members of the Middle East Quartet tomorrow.
The 19 March meeting brings together the UN, the European Union, the United States and Russia, which last week called for the urgent resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians to resolve all outstanding issues of the conflict.
Mr. Ban has said he hopes the meeting, which comes amid rising tensions between the two sides as well as Israel’s announcement that it plans to expand settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory of East Jerusalem, will spur direct negotiations.
From the Russian capital, the Secretary-General is scheduled to travel to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, where he hopes to see the situation on the ground in Gaza more than a year after the end of Operation Cast Lead, the three-week Israeli military offensive conducted with the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.
(VN: Mar 18 2010)
BAN CONDEMNS ROCKET ATTACK FROM GAZA INTO ISRAEL
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned today’s rocket attack from Gaza which killed a civilian in Israel, stressing that all acts of violence are “totally unacceptable.”
The rocket reportedly struck the Netiv Ha'assera kibbutz in southern Israel killing a foreign agricultural worker.
“All such acts of terror and violence against civilians are totally unacceptable and contrary to international law,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement issued in Moscow, where the Secretary-General will be meeting with other members of the Middle East Quartet tomorrow.
The 19 March meeting brings together the UN, the European Union, the United States and Russia, which last week called for the urgent resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians to resolve all outstanding issues of the conflict.
Mr. Ban has said he hopes the meeting, which comes amid rising tensions between the two sides as well as Israel’s announcement that it plans to expand settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory of East Jerusalem, will spur direct negotiations.
From the Russian capital, the Secretary-General is scheduled to travel to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, where he hopes to see the situation on the ground in Gaza more than a year after the end of Operation Cast Lead, the three-week Israeli military offensive conducted with the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.
(VN: Mar 18 2010)
Situatie in Gaza dreigt te verslechteren door blokkade
Eerder deze maand waarschuwden functionarissen van de VN dat de situatie in Gaza verslechtert in het zicht van de 1000ste dag van de blokkade van het gebied.
AS GAZA BLOCKADE NEARS 1,000-DAY MILESTONE, UN OFFICIAL WARNS SITUATION WORSENS
The situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly dire as the Israeli blockade approaches its 1,000th day, allowing an illegal economy to flourish, the new head of the United Nations agency tasked with assisting millions of Palestinian refugees said today.
Filippo Grandi, the Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said that the problems faced by Gaza are not just humanitarian, but “encompass every aspect of society.”
Last March, nations gathered in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and pledged nearly $5 billion to help rebuild Gaza.
However, those funds cannot be disbursed, Mr. Grandi pointed out. “Virtually no materials or equipment destined for reconstruction by the UN and by the private sector… can be transported from Israel because we don’t have permission to do so.”
As a result, an illegal economy “is being imposed, almost, on the Gazans,” he stressed.
Cement producers he has spoken with in Gaza have expressed their unhappiness at having to deal with black marketeers. “They’re very eager to be able to go back to a normal situation where materials can be imported legally according to previous agreements and therefore proper reconstruction can begin.”
Addressing reporters in New York today, Mr. Grandi also welcomed yesterday’s announcement that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit the region in the coming weeks.
Mr. Ban, the UNRWA official said, was the first international leader who visited Gaza following the end of Operation Cast Lead, the three-week Israeli military offensive starting at the end of 2008 which had the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by militants operating in the area.
The fighting left more than 1,400 people dead, injured 5,000 others and reduced homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces to rubble.
Mr. Grandi, who served as Deputy Commissioner General for nearly five years before assuming the top UNRWA post in January, voiced hope that the Secretary-General’s impending visit “will also mark the beginning of a new and more positive phase for the people in Gaza and hopefully for the people in the occupied Palestinian territory as a whole.”
He also expressed concern over UNRWA’s precarious financial situation.
The agency provides assistance, protection and advocacy for some 4.7 million registered Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory, including in the areas of education, health care, community support and emergency response in times of armed conflict.
UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from Member States.
It requires $600 million a year to carry out its work, including in the education sector, where UNRWA employs 20,000 teachers. But its funding falls 20 per cent of the amount needed.
Mr. Grandi said that he hopes to roll out new schemes shortly, including helping young refugees in Gaza, where a large proportion of the population is under the age of 20. “They’re the ones who are most fragile, most exposed to all sorts of risks,” he stressed.
He met yesterday with General Assembly President Ali Treki, who noted that after more than six decades, the question of Palestinian refugees is still awaiting a just and durable solution.
Earlier this week, John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, called for “radical” changes in Israeli policies towards the occupied Palestinian territory to allow people to carry out normal and dignified lives.
“For this to happen, marginal improvements here and there are not enough,” he underscored in Jerusalem while on a visit to the region.
“I have a lot of admiration for the resilience and ingenuity of Gaza residents in trying to cope with the present circumstances,” he said. “The work of relief agencies to assist those who have to endure hardship is also remarkable.”
But he stressed that it is “disturbing” that one year after the fighting ended, “no meaningful reconstruction has yet started.”
(VN: Mar 10, 2010).
AS GAZA BLOCKADE NEARS 1,000-DAY MILESTONE, UN OFFICIAL WARNS SITUATION WORSENS
The situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly dire as the Israeli blockade approaches its 1,000th day, allowing an illegal economy to flourish, the new head of the United Nations agency tasked with assisting millions of Palestinian refugees said today.
Filippo Grandi, the Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said that the problems faced by Gaza are not just humanitarian, but “encompass every aspect of society.”
Last March, nations gathered in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and pledged nearly $5 billion to help rebuild Gaza.
However, those funds cannot be disbursed, Mr. Grandi pointed out. “Virtually no materials or equipment destined for reconstruction by the UN and by the private sector… can be transported from Israel because we don’t have permission to do so.”
As a result, an illegal economy “is being imposed, almost, on the Gazans,” he stressed.
Cement producers he has spoken with in Gaza have expressed their unhappiness at having to deal with black marketeers. “They’re very eager to be able to go back to a normal situation where materials can be imported legally according to previous agreements and therefore proper reconstruction can begin.”
Addressing reporters in New York today, Mr. Grandi also welcomed yesterday’s announcement that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit the region in the coming weeks.
Mr. Ban, the UNRWA official said, was the first international leader who visited Gaza following the end of Operation Cast Lead, the three-week Israeli military offensive starting at the end of 2008 which had the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by militants operating in the area.
The fighting left more than 1,400 people dead, injured 5,000 others and reduced homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces to rubble.
Mr. Grandi, who served as Deputy Commissioner General for nearly five years before assuming the top UNRWA post in January, voiced hope that the Secretary-General’s impending visit “will also mark the beginning of a new and more positive phase for the people in Gaza and hopefully for the people in the occupied Palestinian territory as a whole.”
He also expressed concern over UNRWA’s precarious financial situation.
The agency provides assistance, protection and advocacy for some 4.7 million registered Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory, including in the areas of education, health care, community support and emergency response in times of armed conflict.
UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from Member States.
It requires $600 million a year to carry out its work, including in the education sector, where UNRWA employs 20,000 teachers. But its funding falls 20 per cent of the amount needed.
Mr. Grandi said that he hopes to roll out new schemes shortly, including helping young refugees in Gaza, where a large proportion of the population is under the age of 20. “They’re the ones who are most fragile, most exposed to all sorts of risks,” he stressed.
He met yesterday with General Assembly President Ali Treki, who noted that after more than six decades, the question of Palestinian refugees is still awaiting a just and durable solution.
Earlier this week, John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, called for “radical” changes in Israeli policies towards the occupied Palestinian territory to allow people to carry out normal and dignified lives.
“For this to happen, marginal improvements here and there are not enough,” he underscored in Jerusalem while on a visit to the region.
“I have a lot of admiration for the resilience and ingenuity of Gaza residents in trying to cope with the present circumstances,” he said. “The work of relief agencies to assist those who have to endure hardship is also remarkable.”
But he stressed that it is “disturbing” that one year after the fighting ended, “no meaningful reconstruction has yet started.”
(VN: Mar 10, 2010).
woensdag 24 februari 2010
Israel draait Gaza duimschroeven nog strakker aan
ISRAEL TIGHTENS VICE ON GAZA STRIP, UN REPORTS
The ability to bring essential commodities into Gaza, already under an Israeli blockade that is undermining health care, the economy and rehabilitation after last year’s devastating Israeli offensive, was further cut in January by more crossing closures, according to the latest United Nations update.
The UN and other humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called on Israel to immediately open all border crossings not only for basic necessities, which it allows in limited amounts, but for the reconstruction material needed to rebuild the scores of buildings destroyed by the offensive, which Israel says it launched to halt rocket attacks by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
But in January the situation further deteriorated due the total closure of the fuel crossing at Nahal Oz, which turned Kerem Shalom into the single functional crossing for goods, except for a conveyor belt at Karni Crossing, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report.
“The gradual channelling of all humanitarian shipments to Kerem Shalom since the imposition of the blockade has significantly increased the cost of humanitarian deliveries due to its location, lack of storage capacity, and requirement of the Israeli authorities to repackage containers within pallets,” it added.
A month ago the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, Max Gaylard, warned in a joint statement with the Association of International Development Agencies that the continuing closure was “undermining the functioning of the health-care system… and causing on-going deterioration in the social, economic and environmental determinants of health.”
The blockade was imposed almost three years ago when Hamas, which calls for Israel’s destruction, ousted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement from Gaza. Israel allows in a limited amount of food and medicines and other basic necessities but has banned the entry of construction materials which it says could be used for aggressive purposes.
Last year’s Israeli offensive destroyed or damaged 15 of Gaza’s 27 hospitals, and 43 of its 110 primary health-care facilities.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a report issued last November, stressed that the blockade of vital supplies has devastated Gaza’s economy and “has also severely impaired the realization of a wide range of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights.”
(UN: Feb 17 2010)
The ability to bring essential commodities into Gaza, already under an Israeli blockade that is undermining health care, the economy and rehabilitation after last year’s devastating Israeli offensive, was further cut in January by more crossing closures, according to the latest United Nations update.
The UN and other humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called on Israel to immediately open all border crossings not only for basic necessities, which it allows in limited amounts, but for the reconstruction material needed to rebuild the scores of buildings destroyed by the offensive, which Israel says it launched to halt rocket attacks by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
But in January the situation further deteriorated due the total closure of the fuel crossing at Nahal Oz, which turned Kerem Shalom into the single functional crossing for goods, except for a conveyor belt at Karni Crossing, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report.
“The gradual channelling of all humanitarian shipments to Kerem Shalom since the imposition of the blockade has significantly increased the cost of humanitarian deliveries due to its location, lack of storage capacity, and requirement of the Israeli authorities to repackage containers within pallets,” it added.
A month ago the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, Max Gaylard, warned in a joint statement with the Association of International Development Agencies that the continuing closure was “undermining the functioning of the health-care system… and causing on-going deterioration in the social, economic and environmental determinants of health.”
The blockade was imposed almost three years ago when Hamas, which calls for Israel’s destruction, ousted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement from Gaza. Israel allows in a limited amount of food and medicines and other basic necessities but has banned the entry of construction materials which it says could be used for aggressive purposes.
Last year’s Israeli offensive destroyed or damaged 15 of Gaza’s 27 hospitals, and 43 of its 110 primary health-care facilities.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a report issued last November, stressed that the blockade of vital supplies has devastated Gaza’s economy and “has also severely impaired the realization of a wide range of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights.”
(UN: Feb 17 2010)
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