Turner: Gaza Siege Affected The Region And UNRWA Operations

Turner: The Siege On Gaza Affected The Region And UNRWA Operations

06/06/2012

GAZA, (PIC)-- Director of the UNRWA operations in Gaza Robert Turner warned that the blockade on the Gaza Strip threatens the stability in the region and obstructs the relief work of his agency.

Turner told journalists in his office on Tuesday that the Israeli blockade is the main problem hindering the UNRWA operations, followed by the failure of the donor countries to fulfill their financial obligations towards the agency.

He affirmed that the funding situation is very difficult and there is an acute shortfall in the UNRWA budget.

As for Gaza, he stated that there is a big deficit in the emergency program after the UNRWA was only able to procure 43 million out of 225 million dollars from the donor countries, noting that the agency would reduce its services to 70 percent.

The UNRWA director also said that his agency would decrease the annual employment contracts to 9,000 out of 20,000 and would terminate the summer games in order to provide 6,000 jobs.

The UN official added that they would need 20 million dollars to provide Gazans with emergency assistance in the coming months or else this program would stop affecting 750,000 Palestinian refugees.

He affirmed that the UNRWA would open dialog with the refugees in order to rearrange the priorities and inform them about the new relief situation.

ENDS

© Scoop Media