Gaza blockade impedes Palestinian growth – UN

Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip has dramatically restricted the income of Palestinian families and hampered their development, a top UN official said on Wednesday.

“We see the dramatic impact on the people of Gaza because of the closure and blockade and how the income of these people has been dramatically restricted,” UN humanitarian coordinator for Palestinian territories James W. Rowley told reporters during a visit to the enclave.

“These restrictions affect the poorest the most; they impede development of a sustainable economy and increase dependency on aid,” he was also quoted as saying in a statement.

During his visit Palestinian farmers complained to Rowley how the blockade has affected their products,according to the Voice of Russia.

“Our products are always damaged because of the closure of the terminal. Our strawberries have to go through four or five stations before being sold through Karm abu Salem,” an “Israeli terminal” for transporting goods from Gaza, farmer Ayman Subuh from Beit Lahia said.

“We hope your help will open markets in the West Bank for our products,” Subuh told foreign diplomats, including the head of the delegation of the European Union in Palestinian territories John Gatt-Rutter, who accompanied Rowley on the visit.” Israel” imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2006 and strengthened it a year later, after the coastal enclave fell into the hands of the Islamist Hamas.

R.S