Published : 04-02-2017
176 Palestinian-Syrian families in the blockaded Gaza Strip have been enduring dire living conditions due to the decade-long Israeli siege and the devastating upshots of the latest Israeli offensive on the coastal enclave.
The Palestinians of Syria in Gaza attributed the crisis to the apathy maintained by the human rights institutions, most notably the UNRWA, and the official authorities, namely the national consensus government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Civilians launched cries for help over the high rates of unemployment, lack of financial resources, and steep rental fees, which they said have been the by-products of the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza. Restrictions on civilians’ free access out of and into the blockaded Gaza Strip further marred refugees’ life in the enclave.
AGPS quoted sources from the follow-up committee for refugees who fled from Syria to Gaza as stating that the number of Palestinian families from Syria in Gaza has been estimated at 176 families, down from 360 in 2013.
According to the committee, dozens of Palestinian families from Syria fled Gaza to Libya and Egypt as they hunted for channels to move to Europe.
The committee spoke out against UNRWA’s reluctance to shell out the monthly allowances allocated for the Palestinians of Syria, which have been estimated at $200 per every single family, up from $125 in previous years. UNRWA further rebuffed appeals to include the Palestinians from Syria in Gaza on its employment and housing assistance agenda.
Over recent years, Palestinian families from Syria received no more than $300 each from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the PLO while primary, middle, and high school students received an annual allowance of $25. University students received $250 per year.
On August 18, 2015, the PA-led cabinet issued a decision to grant the refugees a monthly aid allowance of up to $250, cancelling an earlier cabinet resolution issued on April 6, 2015, to seek a durable solution to the refugees’ cause. The Palestinian Ministry of Labor further recruited the refugees for a period of six months but up to now the workers’ dues have not been shelled out.
Sometime later, on April 5, 2016 Social Affairs Minister Ibrahim Al-Shaer tasked the authorities to put into effect a resolution stipulating that refugees be granted aids, jobs, and health insurance. However none of such pledges has materialized on the ground.
The committee further harked back to a 2013 meeting with the ex-Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneyya in the Commodore Hotel to welcome the refugees from Syria. At the time, Haneyya said nine bonds were approved to assist the refugees in terms of housing, education, and health care, among other vital needs. However only a decision to provide employment for one member per every refugee family, with a provisional allowance worth $200 per month, saw the day. The assistance program came to an abrupt end in 2014.
The Palestinian refugees from Syria appealed to the international institutions, most notably UNRWA, the PLO, and the PA to urgently step in and take up their duties vis-à-vis the crisis.
176 Palestinian-Syrian families in the blockaded Gaza Strip have been enduring dire living conditions due to the decade-long Israeli siege and the devastating upshots of the latest Israeli offensive on the coastal enclave.
The Palestinians of Syria in Gaza attributed the crisis to the apathy maintained by the human rights institutions, most notably the UNRWA, and the official authorities, namely the national consensus government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Civilians launched cries for help over the high rates of unemployment, lack of financial resources, and steep rental fees, which they said have been the by-products of the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza. Restrictions on civilians’ free access out of and into the blockaded Gaza Strip further marred refugees’ life in the enclave.
AGPS quoted sources from the follow-up committee for refugees who fled from Syria to Gaza as stating that the number of Palestinian families from Syria in Gaza has been estimated at 176 families, down from 360 in 2013.
According to the committee, dozens of Palestinian families from Syria fled Gaza to Libya and Egypt as they hunted for channels to move to Europe.
The committee spoke out against UNRWA’s reluctance to shell out the monthly allowances allocated for the Palestinians of Syria, which have been estimated at $200 per every single family, up from $125 in previous years. UNRWA further rebuffed appeals to include the Palestinians from Syria in Gaza on its employment and housing assistance agenda.
Over recent years, Palestinian families from Syria received no more than $300 each from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the PLO while primary, middle, and high school students received an annual allowance of $25. University students received $250 per year.
On August 18, 2015, the PA-led cabinet issued a decision to grant the refugees a monthly aid allowance of up to $250, cancelling an earlier cabinet resolution issued on April 6, 2015, to seek a durable solution to the refugees’ cause. The Palestinian Ministry of Labor further recruited the refugees for a period of six months but up to now the workers’ dues have not been shelled out.
Sometime later, on April 5, 2016 Social Affairs Minister Ibrahim Al-Shaer tasked the authorities to put into effect a resolution stipulating that refugees be granted aids, jobs, and health insurance. However none of such pledges has materialized on the ground.
The committee further harked back to a 2013 meeting with the ex-Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneyya in the Commodore Hotel to welcome the refugees from Syria. At the time, Haneyya said nine bonds were approved to assist the refugees in terms of housing, education, and health care, among other vital needs. However only a decision to provide employment for one member per every refugee family, with a provisional allowance worth $200 per month, saw the day. The assistance program came to an abrupt end in 2014.
The Palestinian refugees from Syria appealed to the international institutions, most notably UNRWA, the PLO, and the PA to urgently step in and take up their duties vis-à-vis the crisis.
