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U.N. for massive rise in Palestinian aid

Chris McGreal

"Bleak'' humanitarian outlook for occupied territories

Jerusalem: The U.N. has appealed for a near doubling of emergency aid to the Palestinian territories to alleviate a crippling economic crisis after the freezing of foreign funds to the Hamas government and Israeli sanctions against the Palestinians. It has revised the amount it wants foreign governments to donate this year from $215 million to $385 million to prevent the collapse of services such as health and education, and to provide food and medicines.

The appeal document said the U.N. had taken the unprecedented step of asking for more money because of the ``extremely bleak'' humanitarian outlook for the occupied territories that is ``predicted to worsen dramatically in coming months''. ``We're seeing people cut back on food and basic expenses,'' said David Shearer, head of the U.N.'s office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs. ``The situation in Gaza is the most acute.''

An existing economic crisis has been compounded by the freezing of about $1 billion in foreign aid from the E.U. and the U.S. after the Hamas election victory in January, and Israel withholding taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

The U.N. said PA revenues had dropped by 75 per cent from last year. It estimates that the economy will contract by 27 per cent this year. The most immediate impact has been that the authority has not paid its 152,000 workers for three months.

Those salaries support about one million people, or one in four of the Palestinian population in the occupied territories. The U.N. estimates that only 28 per cent of people in Gaza are now in employment for which they are actually paid. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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