Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses. Share the link of this article with your facebook friends

 

Palestinians Participate in the Relief Effort to the American Victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas

September 10, 2017 

Editor's Note:

Palestinians raise relief money to send to the American victims of Houston Hurricane

Al-Jazeerah, September 10, 2017

It is noteworthy to mention a news story in which Palestinians are participating in an effort to send some relief to the American victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, despite the extreme poverty, persecution, and oppression they have been experiencing by the Israeli occupation government and its illegal occupation army and its illegal terrorist settlers.

The Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip is the most densely populated area in the world, as about two million people are forced to live in an area of about 30 miles long and about 3-7 miles wide.

These are the descendants of Palestinian refugees, who were forced by the Israeli terrorist organizations to leave their cities and villages during the 1948 war, and were never allowed to return after the war.

In addition, to evicting them from their lands and homes in 1948, the Israeli occupation government launched successive wars on them in 1956, 1967, 2009, 2012, and 2014, in addition to permanent persecution and oppression since 1967.

Since 2007, Gaza strip has been subjected to continuous Israeli blockade and siege, in which Egypt also participated by closing its border crossing with Gaza most of the time.

Thus, this high rate of poverty is the result of the Israeli continuous brutality and devastation against Palestinians in Gaza Strip.

 

Flooding in a Houston, Texas Street, as a result of Hurricane Harvey, August 28, 2017	A Palestinian family in Gaza, where poverty rate is 80%, as a result of the Israeli-Egyptian siege and blockade since 2007

Palestinians raise money to send to Houston Hurricane Relief

September 10, 2017 10:37 AM IMEMC News

After a Category 4 Hurricane, Hurricane Harvey, devastated the city of Houston with severe flooding, people around the world have offered support. And Palestinians are no exception. On September 2nd, a Palestinian non-profit coalition based in Ramallah launched a campaign to raise aid money for the people of Houston, and hundreds of Palestinians have already signed on to support.

This humanitarian campaign comes in the midst of a severe economic crisis for the Palestinian people, who, despite the shortages and hardships they themselves are facing, have managed to raise a substantial amount to send to the victims of the hurricane in the US.

The fundraising campaign was organized by the American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine (AFRP) as a symbol of compassion and support from the Palestinian and Arab-American communities.

Dr. Hanna Hanania, the head of the Federation, stated that, “the campaign does not differentiate between the members of the American community in Houston, but rather seeks to help everyone based on the values and culture of the Palestinians who were raised on helping others in their homelands and in the diaspora.”

Wafa Baba, a member of the federation and coordinator in Houston, said that, “The Palestinians in Houston appreciate the initiative of the Federation and its efforts to provide support and communication”. 

Gaza Poverty Rate Reaches 80%, as a Result of the Israeli Blockade and Siege and the Egyptian Closure of the Border Crossing

September 9, 2017 10:24 PM IMEMC News & Agencies

Chairman of the Popular Committee Against the Siege on Gaza said, on Friday, that poverty rate among Palestinians in the territory has reached 80 per cent.

“This has had disastrous effects on all aspects of life,” explained Jamal Al-Khodari in a press statement. “Moreover, at a time of unprecedented crises, punishing measures taken by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank have complicated the situation.”

He pointed out, according to Days of Palestine, that unemployment in Gaza stands at 60 per cent, among the highest rates in the world.

The independent MP said that the only solution for saving the Gaza Strip is achieving internal reconciliation, ending the division and lifting the Israeli-led siege. The latter, stressed Al-Khodari, and the opening of the Gaza border crossings unconditionally, is very important.

Furthermore, he suggested that an emergency fund should be established to tackle the crises by funding employment projects for labourers as well as graduates, and allocating more money to rebuild Gaza.

Thousands of young Palestinian graduates have no employment opportunities in the besieged territory.

Al-Khodari noted that the electricity crisis has a major impact on the provision of healthcare and education, as well as the commercial, industrial and social sectors.

The economic situation, he said, is “very difficult” due to the full or partial closure of hundreds of factories in the Gaza Strip. The MP estimated the losses at tens of millions of US dollars.

In conclusion, Al-Khodari referred to the severe shortage of medicines and medical disposables, and the reduction of medical referrals abroad, which have exacerbated the troubled healthcare sector in the Gaza Strip.

06/16/17 PA Cuts Gaza Medical Supplies by 90%

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