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Welcome to Palestine Today a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org for Wednesday, June 30 2010.
Children in the West Bank and Gaza suffer greatly under the occupation, and Bedouin families are forced to move again theses stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
A report by Save the Children, an UK children’s charity, brings to light the devastating poverty experienced by Palestinians under direct Israeli control. These are the Palestinians that live in Area C, the land area of which is about 60% of the West Bank.
The Israeli military prevents needed repairs of private properties and of infrastructure throughout the area.
Restrictions on projects to upgrade houses, sewer treatment, roads and agriculture projects has led to a rapid decline in the living conditions of Area C residents. The prohibitions on farming lands have led to an inability of the people to feed themselves and directly to the malnutrition of children.
According to the report, something like 79% of families in Area C lack sufficient food, compared with the 61% in Gaza. Children in the area due to poor nutrition suffer a diarrhea rate of 44%. Within the Area C communities evidence of stunted growth are evident and one in ten are underweight for their age. Half the families surveyed reported an inability to access international aid.
Save the Children called on the Israelis to immediately halt all land confiscations and home demolitions and called on the Palestinian Authority to take action in developing services and increasing food security for residents of Area C.
The Palestinian Medical Relief society concluded a study of the children of Gaza which revealed that 52% suffered from anemia. This startling statistic also comes with the findings that they are also suffering a wide range of nutritional deficiencies in addition to a large number dealing with respiratory infections.
The study also pointed out that there has been a noticeable increase in children having to go out and work to support their families with the sky-rocketing unemployment occurring within the Gaza Strip.
Special note was also made to point out the negative psychological effects which living under constant Israeli attack and poverty has on the youth.
The al-Quds Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights is reporting that forty Bedouin families in the al-Farsiyya area have been told to leave the areas they have been residing in.
Less than 24- hours notice was given to the families and this prevents them from showing ownership documents or appealing the orders.
They have been living in the area for decades after being previously forced to move in the past. The Center plans to help the Bedouin families fight the orders.
In other news, Ya’akov Turkel, the head of the Israeli inquiry into the attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla has demanded more powers for his commission.
Mr. Turkel wants to expand the inquiry into a full judicial hearing with the power to summon people and papers relating to the tragic events. It has been reported that he is backing all of this with a threat to resign. The government is formally considering his requests.
Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem, you have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Center, for constant update, please visit our website at www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Brian Ennis.
