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| Britain |
| UK gives £19 million for Gazan refugees |
| 2010-06-09 |
| The UK is undertaking a massive austerity study to slash spending, including such schemes as winter fuel subsidy to old age pensioners. Well if they are looking at areas to cut, would this big HINT help? The UK Government is to provide £19m to help support schools and health clinics for Gazan refugees, International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell announced today. The aid will go to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and will provide health care, education and services to meet the basic needs of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the surrounding region. Around 70% of Gazans depend on UNRWA for basic services, while 75% depend on food handouts. Andrew Mitchell said: "The humanitarian situation in Gaza is both unacceptable and unsustainable. "The UK is committed to helping those people affected by this crisis and that is why I am today providing £19 million to help meet their most basic needs. There is an immediate need for unfettered access to Gaza if the humanitarian situation is to be improved, to allow the economy to get back on its feet, and to give the young people of Gaza the prospect of a better future. "I call on the Government of Israel to open the crossings to help end this humanitarian crisis." Both the humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza remains very severe. 75% of Gazans depend on food handouts. 90% of water delivered to Gazans is not fit for drinking. Over 40% of Gaza's workforce is unemployed, and 95% of businesses are currently inactive. Around 70% of Gazans depend on the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for health care, education and services to meet other basic needs. UK funding is essential to ensure that more unnecessary suffering is minimised. UNRWA is facing a cash crisis. Its Regular Budget (General Fund) for 2010 is US$583.5 million. However, UNRWA's current level of funding for 2010 leaves a shortfall of $176.1 million, of which $90m is critical to paying salaries and delivering basic services. In 2006, the UK signed a 5-year, £100m funding agreement with UNRWA. The agreement includes annual core contributions and performance-related payments, based on a Performance Assessment Framework agreed between DFID and UNRWA. The Secretary of State has just approved the £19 million core contribution for 2010. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #3 to kill innocent jewish schoolchildren. CrazyFool, if you ask Hamas will explain that those "innocent" Jewish children will grow up to be Israeli soldiers, and therefore were born guilty. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-06-09 16:47 |
| #2 In completely-unrelated-news Hamas has announced it has found £19 million to purchase rockets, guns, and explosives to kill innocent jewish schoolchildren. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-06-09 15:22 |
| #1 And President Obama announced that he will announce a $400million donation to the Palestinians to offset the hardships of being blockaded by Israel. The article is posted on page 2 under Homefront:WoT. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-06-09 14:42 |