EU calls for urgent need to lift Gaza siege

The European Union (EU) has renewed Tuesday calls for the urgent need to lift the siege on Gaza and to implement the Palestinian national reconciliation that would “lead to the return of a single Palestinian Authority to Gaza.”

The calls came during a signing event between UNRWA and EU Representative John Gatt-Rutter in Gaza on Tuesday.

During the event, the European Union has announced a new EUR 5 million (US$ 5.7 million) contribution to the UNRWA Job Creation Program in the Gaza Strip. The EU has now contributed almost EUR 19.5 million to the Job Creation Program in Gaza since 2011.

“During the latest war in Gaza, many businesses were affected in various ways. Therefore, we have decided to provide extra support to the Job Creation Program through an additional EUR 5 million through Instrument for Stability (recently renamed Instrument Contributing to Stability and Peace - ICSP) funds on the top of EUR 15 million in 2011,” Gatt-Rutter said.

This will provide short-term job opportunities for an additional 4,800 vulnerable refugees in Gaza, with a particular focus on unskilled women, he added.

New opportunities will be created mainly in the struggling agriculture and fisheries sectors. Our efforts will help improve the lives of many of the most vulnerable people in Gaza, he underlined.

“But, as I have said, alone it is not enough and this is not in any way a permanent solution to the problems we are facing.”

"It is still vital that we continue to work with all partners to bring about fundamental change by ensuring that the severe restrictions on movement and access are lifted and there is real progress on reconciliation, leading to the return of a single Palestinian Authority to Gaza," according to his statement.




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