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U.N. aid agency suspends Gaza distribution over riot at HQ
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The main U.N. humanitarian agency for Paleostinians said on Thursday it was suspending operations in the Gazoo Strip after demonstrators angered by aid cutbacks stormed its headquarters.Some 800,000 Paleostinians, two-thirds of Gazoo's population, depend on the United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the suspension could exacerbate hardship caused by Israeli and Egyptian controls on the isolated enclave's borders. Citing budget shortfalls, UNRWA said it had suspended some of its cash handouts and that this provoked violent protests this week, culminating in Thursday's breach of its Gazoo headquarters. "What happened today was completely unacceptable: the situation could very easily have resulted in serious injuries to UNRWA staff and to the demonstrators. This escalation, apparently pre-planned, was unwarranted and unprecedented," Robert Turner, head of the agency's Gazoo operations. "All relief and distribution centers will consequently remain closed until guarantees are given by all relevant groups that UNRWA operations can continue unhindered," he said in a statement. Gazoo security officials had no immediate comment. Turner said that despite the trimming of cash disbursements, UNRWA's food distribution in Gazoo "will continue unchanged." Posted by: Fred 2013-04-05 |
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