Work In PU-AMI After Severe Military Operation "Cast Lead"'

Mr. Abu Hassan : We Started Our Work In PU-AMI After Severe Military Operation “Cast Lead”

Gaza-interior Ministry

The economic situation and living conditions in Gaza Strip are getting worse with less humanitarian aid this year 2012, and the continuous comprehensive blockade imposed by Israel since June 2007.

Shortfalls of funds in the humanitarian aid are seriously affecting the Gazans and push more of them into deep poverty.

Several International NGOs were obliged to downsize their activities resulting in less beneficiaries of humanitarian aid in Gaza Strip. The number of beneficiaries for 2012-2013 projects was cut by a third as a result.

The severe blockade of Gaza does not give any opportunity for concrete development, and unemployment is continuously going up. We met with Mr. Jehad Abu Hassan, Gaza Field Coordinator for the French NGO- Premiere Urgence- Aide Médicale Internationale- working in West Bank and Gaza Strip to listen to his point of view on the humanitarian situation and the intervention carried out by his NGO.

PU-AMI is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization working towards international solidarity. Mr. Abu Hassan explained: PU-AMI started working in Palestine in 2002 in West Bank through financial support of the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO). The project targeted most vulnerable people through Cash for Work ( CfW) and Professional Tool Kits activities. PU-AMI has also implemented several water and sanitation projects in West Bank through financial support of United Nation Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA) and the French Delegation for Humanitarian Affairs (DAH) and the Centre de Crise (CDC) of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

Mr. Abu Hassan highlighted the fact that PU-AMI’s intervention was developed in the Gaza Strip in winter 2009 following the severe military operation “ Cast Lead”, which lasted 22 days and devastated all Gaza’s economy and living conditions with the death of more than 1400 people and 5000 injuries.

PU-AMI interventions, between February 2009 and February 2012, brought direct support to 485 small-scale farmers through farmland rehabilitation (870 dunums rehabilitated), 235 vulnerable women through small breeding activities (distribution of rabbits and laying hens) and 571 temporary jobs creation. According to Mr. Abu Hassan more than 70 % of small-scale farmers continued cultivation after PU-AMI intervention in Khan Younis (including the Bufer Zone).

Mr. Abu Hassan insisted on the importance of coordination with local authorities, i.e. PU-AMI rehabilitated 10 schools health facilities and set up shade nets in 3 schools thanks to ECHO funds, in Khan Younis. More than 8186 girls, 4124 boys and 571 teachers have benefited from the activity”. He added.

He also mentioned the concrete coordination with all stakeholders and INGOs and UN agencies working in Gaza Strip in order to target the most vulnerable people and avoid any duplication in aid.

Nevertheless, Mr. Abu Hassan highlighted that the restrictions on movements on goods and people hindered smooth implementation of emergency interventions. These measures imposed by Israel keep people under chronic poverty with no hope of better living conditions notably with the continuous blockade of Gaza Strip.

23/5/2012

ENDS

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