The United Nations coordinator for the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen, says the closure of the Gaza Strip by Israel is seriously hampering UN work and it may have to reduce its operations there. He says most people in Gaza rely on UN agencies for health care, education and social services.
| The UN runs the Paleoschools? Now, who'da thunk that? |
Mr Larsen also says that if the closure continues, Gaza's economy could be crippled.
| You mean they'll go from paraplegic to quadraplegic? |
"We have now about 75 per cent of the population living below the poverty level which is less than $US2 a day," he said. "We have (an) unemployment rate which is pushing 50 and I think these figures alone show how terrible the situation is there and with the total closure, no people, no goods going in and out, it makes a bad situation worse."
| There do seem to be a lot of job openeings in the explosives industry, though... |
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