The General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions (PGFTU) warned yesterday that the poverty rate in the Gaza Strip has exceeded 80 percent.
The federation warned that both poverty and unemployment rates have reached unprecedented levels in the Gaza Strip, with poverty exceeding 80 percent. Meanwhile, unemployment rates have reached more than 54.9 percent in the besieged enclave, both of which are serious indicators of the deteriorated economic situation in Gaza.
The poverty rate exceeded 80% in #Gaza!
Source : #UN pic.twitter.com/BYqNRCgGXl— Shehab News (@ShehabAgencyEn) January 13, 2019
The number of unemployed persons has reached more than 295,000 during the year 2018, it explained.
The federation added that Palestinian workers in Gaza have been living in catastrophic conditions for more than 12 years since Israel began its siege on the Strip, causing massive destruction of the economic sector, infrastructure and contributing to the government’s inability to assume its responsibilities towards the Gaza Strip.
Thurs 17 Jan pm
Issawiya, Jerusalem 1 detained
Anata, ne Jerusalem (1) 14yr old
Beit Ummar, n Hebron, (1) Beit Fajar resident
Deir Istiya, nw Salfit, settler cars stoned, route 5066
Gaza:
4 hospitals closing, inc Rantisi Paediatric Hospital
80% in poverty
60% unemployed— SFoP (@SFoP_Palestine) January 17, 2019
PGFTU called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to lift the sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip and provide emergency relief and development projects to alleviate the Palestinian workers’ suffering.
The federation also appealed to the international community to shoulder its responsibilities towards the besieged enclave and on Egypt to reopen the Rafah border crossing to allow the entry of basic materials to the Strip.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
