Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 8 June 2018
As aid dries up, Gaza families pushed deeper into poverty

By FARES AKRAM has said it's linking future
MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH funding to UNRWA reforms.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) UNRWA has raised more
— Samia Hassan used to than $200 million from
have enough money to other donors, but is still
feed her two dozen children struggling. Money for Gaza
and grandchildren. Now food distributions could run
she spends much of her out in a couple of months,
time worrying about food, Gunness said.
scouring Gaza's vegetable With the exception of the
markets for end-of-day funds already spent this
discounts or walking miles year, all U.S. assistance to
for a pot of free gruel from the Palestinians is under
a soup kitchen. review. This includes
Large numbers of Gaza projects funded by
families have been USAID and the State
pushed deeper into Department, including
poverty in recent months health, education, good
by Palestinian political governance and security
infighting and the freezing cooperation programs.
of U.S. aid. Life is tougher There is no indication the
than ever for most of review will be completed
the 2 million Palestinians any time soon, if ever, and
locked into tiny, blockaded In this Thursday, May 31, 2018 photo, Walid al-Hattab, right, distributes free porridge during the it appears to be driven in
Gaza, where electricity holy fasting month of Ramadan in Gaza City. part by Abbas' decision
is off most hours of the Associated Press to boycott Washington's
day, unemployment Mideast peace efforts as
approaches 50 percent unfinished cinderblock devastation, her sons only On a recent afternoon, well as Palestinian moves
and the Islamic militant home with seven of her found work sporadically dozens of people jostled, to assert themselves at the
group Hamas rules with a 12 adult children, three and one — a father of six pushing their aluminum or United Nations.
tight grip. daughters-in-law and 16 — is now in jail for being plastic food containers to Charities such as Catholic
"It's a perfect storm," said grandchildren — said she unable to pay his debts. be filled. The huge pot was Relief Services rely heavily
Hilary DuBose of the Catholic joined the border protests The family suffered a new empty within 10 minutes. on U.S. support. In Gaza,
Relief Services, which has repeatedly, intentionally blow after Abbas ordered "The situation is difficult its operations have been
had to forego emergency getting close to the fence his West Bank autonomy for everyone," said Walid underwritten by a five-year,
food distributions because in hopes of getting shot government to curtail its Hattab, 50, who owns a $50 million USAID grant. This
the Trump administration and killed by Israeli troops. regular support payments small coffee-and-spice year, the charity should
is withholding funds. "At "Death is better than this to Gaza, in hopes of store and cooks the free have received about $10
the same time that the life," she said to her sons' pressing Hamas to hand meals as Ramadan charity. million, but hasn't gotten
humanitarian situation astonishment as the family over authority. Demand is up from last any money so far, said
in Gaza is worsening, gathered for the meal The Hassans used to get year, he said, noting that DuBose.
humanitarian aid is breaking the dawn-to- $500 every three months merchants have stopped As a result, 20,000 Gaza
disappearing." dusk fast of the Muslim holy from Abbas' Palestinian selling on credit. families aren't receiving
Growing despair in Gaza month of Ramadan. Authority, but haven't been Along with the Palestinian food vouchers and about
has helped drive recent Hassan said she only pulled paid since the beginning Authority, the U.N. has been 2,200 people eligible for
Hamas-led protests against back because she realized of the year, along with instrumental in propping up job-creation programs are
the border blockade she could end up crippled tens of thousands of Gaza Gaza's fragile economy. staying home, she said.
by Israel and Egypt. The rather than dead and welfare recipients, said About two-thirds of Gaza's Muslim countries such as
closure was imposed after become a burden. In the Social Affairs Ministry official residents are eligible for Qatar, Iran, Turkey and
Hamas, branded a terrorist past two months, more Khaled Barghouti. health, education or the United Arab Emirates
group by Israel and the than 115 Palestinians have Meanwhile, some 60,000 welfare services from have stepped up aid
West, seized Gaza in 2007, been killed and close to former civil servants, paid UNRWA, the agency during Ramadan. Qatar
driving out forces loyal 3,800 wounded by Israeli by Abbas since 2007 to that aids descendants of is distributing 1 million
to Palestinian President fire in near-weekly border ensure their loyalty, have Palestinian refugees from meals for the month and
Mahmoud Abbas. protests, with some facing received only a fraction of the 1948 war over Israel's Iran 11,000 per day. But
The escalating crisis also lifelong disabilities. their salaries since March. creation. it's not clear if such aid
spotlights the lack of a Hassan, who wears the With barely any money Need has grown will be sustained after the
coherent Gaza policy by black robe and full face coming in, the Hassans exponentially, with some 1 holy month. On a recent
the external players trying veil of ultra-conservative increasingly rely on charity. million people in Gaza now evening, Samia Hassan
to shape its future. Israel Muslim women, is angry at During Ramadan, Samia receiving U.N. food aid, and two dozen family
and Egypt say they need Hamas, which has fought Hassan often walks five compared to 80,000 two members sat on the straw
the blockade to contain three cross-border wars kilometers (three miles) decades ago, said agency mat-covered floor of their
Hamas, but have not with Israel. to another Gaza City spokesman Chris Gunness. home. Salad and leftover
offered a viable plan for "It's because of them," she neighborhood to line up At the same time, the gruel from the day before
Gaza. The international said of her family's hard for wheat gruel cooked Trump administration has had been laid out. Just
community wants the times. in a large cauldron over blown a $305 million hole before iftar, volunteers
blockade lifted, but hasn't In the last war in 2014, the an open fire. Hassan said into the agency's annual from a nearby mosque sent
said how it would deal family taxi, an important her sons won't make the $1.2 billion budget — the over a tray of rice with one
with Hamas, which refuses source of income, was trip, embarrassed to be result of a decision earlier chicken. "It came at the
to disarm or renounce destroyed in an Israeli seen asking for handouts, this year to suspend most right time," said daughter-
violence. airstrike on a neighbor's but that she doesn't mind aid to the Palestinians until in-law Samah, holding a
Hassan — who shares her house. After the war's because her face is veiled. further notice. Washington toddler in her lap.q