UNRWA schools and facilities closed in cuts protest
195 views · Published 7 October 2018 · 3:01 · Indexed 26 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(2 Oct 2018) LEADIN: United Nations workers have begun a two-day strike in Gaza. Schools, health centres and food distribution facilities are closed in protest at cuts to the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. STORYLINE: Peeking under the school gates is the closest this little boy will get to the classroom today. United Nations workers in Gaza are on strike in protest over widespread pay cuts and dismissals. UNRWA school yards lie empty as 13,000 Palestinian employees take part in the two day action. And they've threatened more protests if the agency doesn't rescind cuts by Thursday. "Now 578 employees have been dismissed from UNRWA, and therefore yesterday we confirmed the general strike today and tomorrow," says Amir al-Mishal, chairman of the UNRWA's Palestinian Employees' Union. He says "escalating measures" will be announced on Thursday. "Maybe the message will be clear to the international community and the (UN) administration." It's not just schools affected by the strikes - UNRWA-run clinics and food distribution centres are also shut. It means Umm Ahmad Moayad has not been able to get medical help for her child. "My daughter was sick and she had a fever last night, so I came to treat her and I was surprised that the clinic is closed because of the strike," she says. "It should not close, because people need medicine and treatment." The United States, the largest single donor to UNRWA, effectively ended its 350 million US dollar contribution this year, resulting in a 217 million dollar budget shortfall. The deficit means 113 emergency programme jobs have been scrapped and 584 staff positions have been converted to part-time. Adnan Abu Hasna, UNRWA spokesman, says today's strike means 300,000 students are "on the streets". And he fears the protests could make the situation worse for people in Gaza. "The continuation of strikes will affect more lives of the people here in the Gaza Strip, because we are almost the only provider of integrated and continuous services in the Gaza Strip," he says. UNRWA provides services to millions of Palestinians and their descendants who fled or were forced from homes in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. Israel accuses the agency of perpetuating the refugee crisis. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/3a76d7a3a882cf6cfaa3c5e10c8af10a
