UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl attributed Wednesday the humanitarian crises rocking the Gaza Strip to the tough Israeli blockade.
Speaking at a press conference held in UNRWA office in Gaza Krähenbühl said all the crises with which Gazans have been grappling including poverty unemployment and water and power shortages have been the by-products of the Israeli ten-year siege.
He added that his visit to Gaza will last for one week in an attempt to keep tabs on the socio-economic problems faced by Palestinians in the besieged strip.
Following a tour in the blockaded enclave of Gaza the UNRWA official expressed his deep concern over the psychological and social fallouts of the siege.
In Krähenbühl’s words a large number of Palestinians are unable to come up with the money needed to meet the expenses of their children’s basic needs due to unemployment.
He pledged that the agency will continue to support Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
Commenting on the protests made by the UNRWA teaching staff in Gaza the Commissioner-General said UNRWA director will hold a meeting with the instructors to further discuss the issue and work out the crisis.
According to Krähenbühl 260000 students are enrolled at UNRWA schools in Gaza 12000 among whom joined up last year. 24 new UNRWA schools have meanwhile been established in Gaza to catch up with the growing number of learners.
At the same time 400 new instructors have been appointed at UNRWA schools.
UNRWA Commissioner-General also received the Japanese Ambassador Takeshi Okubo who hailed the efforts made by the agency to alleviate the calamitous state of affairs in Gaza.
“No doubt Gaza holds a special place in the hearts of the Japanese people” said Okubo as he expressed solidarity with the beleaguered enclave and pledged unyielding solidarity with the Palestinians.
