On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, the United Nations called for full lifting of the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Marking 15 years since the start of the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the appeal came in line with Security Council resolution 1860 (2009).
Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, stressed that “due to the blockade, poverty, high unemployment rates and other factors — nearly 80 per cent of Gazans now rely on humanitarian assistance. “
More than half of Gaza’s more than 2 million people live in poverty, and nearly 80 per cent of the youth there are unemployed, the UN official added.
This year, humanitarians need $510 million to provide food, water, sanitation and health services to 1.6 million people. The appeal is currently just 25 per cent funded.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) needs an extra $72 million by the end of September for its Gaza emergency food programme, to meet the food needs of 1.1 million Palestinian refugees through the end of the year.
The World Food Programme (WFP) also needs an extra $35 million to compensate for increasing commodity prices.
Dujarric concluded by saying that more needs to be done to alleviate the humanitarian situation, with the eventual goal of a full lifting of the Israeli closures, in line with Security Council resolution 1860 (2009).
