june

201

2un

rwa

closure of the gaza strip:key facts and messages

united nations relief and works agencyfor palestine refugees in the near east

www.unrwa.org

The population of Gaza is estimated at 1.6 million, including 1.2 million registered Palestine refugees.

About 60% of the population is under age 18. Some 350,000 persons are youth aged 15-24 years.

The completion of the closure of Gaza in 2007 has decimated the economy. Ongoing restrictions against the movement of goods to and from Gaza are preventing sustainable economic recovery.

• ExportsfromGazaremainatlessthan5%ofpre-2007levelsandimportsatlessthanapproximately45%ofpre-2007levels.

• AbanonthetransferofGazangoodstoitshistoricmarketintheWestBank,secondinimportanceonlyafterIsrael,remainsineffect.

New data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) confirms that the recent economic resurgence in Gaza has reached a saturation point, with some gains beginning to reverse.

• RealGDPpercapitacontractedby39percentfrom2005-2009,asaresultofincreasingIsraelirestrictionsagainstmovementtoandfromGaza.

• RealGDPpercapitagrewapproximately19percentin2011,reflectiveoftheextremelylowbaselineanddrivenlargelybyimportsthroughthenetworkoftunnelsundertheEgypt-Gazaborder;however,theeconomyseemstohavenowreachedasaturationpoint.

• Asatend2011,realGDPpercapitaremainedatapproximatelytenpercentbelow2005levels.

Unemployment rates in Gaza remain among the highest in the world and are increasing.

• Improvementstotheunemploymentratesin2010-2011havebeguntoreverse.• TheunemploymentrateinGazaroseto31.5percentinQ12012.• 51percentoftheyouthworkforceisunemployedasis46.5%ofthefemaleworkforce.

Theeconomicgrowthfrommid-2010tomid-2011wasprimarilydrivenbydemand,whichisunsustainableinasmalleconomylikeGaza.The inability to export products will continue to prevent a reactivation of the productive economy until access is restored.

This month marks the anniversary of the tightening of the Israeli-imposed closure of the Gaza Strip, which is over five years old and in violation of international law.

Although the Gaza Strip has been repeatedly subjected to restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, these restrictions grew increasingly tighter over the years since the 1990s, until borders were closed completely in June 2007. As of today, severe restrictions against the movement of persons and goods remain intact. The closure of Gaza has had a devastating impact on the population of Gaza, as shown through the facts and figures in this fact sheet.

Crossing point for people

Crossing pointfor fuels

Crossing pointfor goods

Both used as alternative crossing point for commercial and humanitarian goods

Internationalterminal for passengers

Rafah

Khan Yunis

MiddleArea

Gaza

NorthGaza

I S R A E L

E G Y P T

Nahal Oz

Karni

Erez

Sufa

Kerem Shalom

Rafah Airport

Rafah Camp

Jabalia Camp

Al Bureij Camp

Khan Yunis Camp

An Nuseirat Camp

Ash Shati' Camp

Al Maghazi CampDeir al Balah Camp

Tal as Sultan

GazaCity

Jabalia

Khan Yunis

Beit Lahiya

Rafah

Beit Hanoun

Deir al Balah

Bani Suheila

Al Qarara

'Abasan al Kabira

Az Zawayda

Ashkelon

Netivot

Sderot

Patish

Ein ha-Bsor

Shuva

Magen

Tkuma

Ohad

Re'im

Nir Oz

Zikim

Mefalsim

Zimrat

Kfar Maimon

Alumim

Kfar Aza

YeshaMivtakhim

Be'eri

Yad Mordekhai

Netiv ha-Asara

Sde Nitsan

Shokeda

Nirim

Kisufim

Ami'oz

Karmiya

Sa'ad

Nir Yitskhak

Tushiya

Ein ha-Shlosha

Gaza StripOverview Map January 2009

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

0 4 82

Kilometres

Medite

rrane

anSea

E G Y P T J O R D A N

L E B A N O N

I S R A E L

W e s tB a n k

G a z aS t r i p

M E D I T E R R A N E A NS E A

De

ad

Se

a

0 5025 km

Governorate BorderGreen Line

Israeli Built-up area

Crossing Point

Refugee Camp

Built-up area

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.

united nations relief and works agencyfor palestine refugees in the near east

www.unrwa.org

It is only due to the large-scale interventions of international agencies and donors that the economic and food security crises in Gaza have not turned into a full-blown humanitarian emergency.

• UNRWAaloneprovidesforthedailyfoodneedsofover800,000refugeesatanannualcostof$85million.• Ultimatelybornebyinternationaldonors,manyofthesehighcostscouldbeavoidedbyopeningtheborderfornormaltrade,including

bothimportsandexports.

Even though more persons were able to work from mid-2010 to mid-2011, their ability to afford basic food and other items necessary for life continued to decrease.

• Approximately33percentofGazanworkersremainpoor,accordingtoPCBS.• Duringthesecondhalfof2011,theaveragerealmonthlywagestoodatNIS1074,approximately32percentbelowthe2006level(NIS

1589).• TheaveragehouseholdinGazacontinuestoallocatenearlyhalfofitsexpendituresonfood,duetohighpricesandlowwages.• Anestimated44percentofhouseholdsinGazalacksecureaccesstosufficientamountsofsafeandnutritiousfoodfornormal

growthanddevelopmentandanactiveandhealthylife.Itisimportanttonotethatthisisa“post-assistancerate”,meaningthesehouseholdslacksecureaccessevenafterreceivingfoodassistancefromUNRWAorotheraidagencies.

• TwoofeverythreerefugeesinGazaremaindependentonUNRWAfortheirdailyfoodrequirements.

The closure of Gaza – particularly the ban on the commercial import of construction commodities – continues to restrict implementation of humanitarian projects.

• WhileUNRWAhasaworkingrelationshipwiththeGovernmentofIsrael(GoI),themandatorysubmissionofallprojectstotheGoIforapprovalcontinuestobeslowerthanseemsnecessary.

• Onaverage,ittakessixmonthsforUNRWAtoreceiveapprovalofprojectsfromtheGoI.• Therecently-approvedhousingprojectsrequired12and18months,respectively,toobtainapproval.• Atleastonehousingproject,fundedbytheUnitedArabEmirates,hasbeenpendingapprovalforover18months.Partially

constructedbeforeJune2007,nearly450familieshavebeenwaitingfortheirnewhomesforoversixyears.• In2011,UNRWAspentapproximatelyUSD5millioninadditionalcostsrelatedtothelengthyprojectapprovalprocess,construction

materialaccountabilityrequirements,andreductionofofficialcrossingpointsforgoodsfromfourtoone.

With construction commodities – in particular, aggregate, metal bars and concrete – now pouring freely into Gaza through the tunnels, there is an obvious disproportion between the control exerted over the import of goods by aid agencies and commercial companies and the free flow of goods through the tunnels.

• Onaverage,nearly3,000tonnesofaggregate,2,500tonnesofcementand300tonnesofsteelbarsaretransferredintoGazathroughthetunnelseachday(accordingtoOCHAandthePalestinianFederationofIndustries).

• ThecontinuedbanontheofficialimportoftheseitemsisdisproportionatelyimpactingtheinternationalaidagenciesworkinginGaza.

Prior to 2002 – before restrictions on movement began to tighten – only ten per cent of refugees were dependent on UNRWA aid. Today, this dependency ratio is approximately 70 per cent.

Unless the closure of Gaza is lifted and free movement of goods and civilians restored, people will remain trapped in unemployment, food insecurity, and aid dependency. Discontent, isolation and loss of hope will continue to grow. In effect, the closure of Gaza punishes the whole of its civilian population and limits their basic freedoms. This policy undermines the human rights and dignity of nearly 1.7 million civilians in Gaza. It also undermines long-term peace and security in the region.

UNRWA calls on the Government of Israel to end the closure of Gaza and to restore basic freedoms and dignity for all civilians, including for an estimated 800,000 children.