UNRWA PRESS RELEASE
18 May 2003
Press Release No. HQ/G/07/2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

18 UN Agencies and NGOs Protest Gaza Closure


On 11 May 2003, the Israeli authorities closed the Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip in both directions for internationals, except for holders of diplomatic visas or passports. The closure affects virtually all international staff of United Nations organisations, NGOs and other humanitarian and development agencies. This move follows four weeks of increasingly severe restrictions that have seriously disrupted aid workers’ freedom of movement and the distribution of humanitarian relief to 1.2 million Palestinians. On 17 May 2003, the Israeli authorities partially lifted the closure with respect to certain named staff of a few UN organizations, but not for all international staff of these organizations who need to cross Erez. The closure was also lifted for certain named staff of one humanitarian non-governmental organisation.


The undersigned UN and other international and non-governmental organisations protest in the strongest terms Israel’s imposition of this unprecedented measure, which is in direct contravention of international law.


We fully respect Israel’s security concerns. But we firmly reject the clear implication of the measures imposed at the Erez crossing for the last month that UN officials and international aid workers constitute a security threat to the State of Israel or its citizens. We call on the Israeli authorities to reopen the Erez crossing immediately, on a 24 hour-a-day basis, for all international staff members of all United Nations organisations and of all other international humanitarian and development agencies operating in the Gaza Strip. We seek a prompt return to procedures that will allow UN international staff members and other humanitarian aid and development workers to exit and enter Gaza freely, with minimal delays.


The closure of Erez has made the operations of all UN Agencies, NGOs and other humanitarian and development agencies unreasonably difficult, inefficient and costly. If these new restrictions persist, a number of international and non-governmental humanitarian organisations may be forced to stop their operations in the Gaza Strip. Médecins du Monde and UNAIS have already announced that, because of the blockade at Erez, they have had to suspend operations in Gaza.


It is not clear to us why the Government of Israel has imposed these unprecedented restrictions. The restrictions are violations of applicable international law and, in many cases, bilateral agreements between the Government of Israel and the agencies concerned. They also go against the undertakings on humanitarian access given by the Government of Israel in August last year to the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Humanitarian Envoy, Ms. Catherine Bertini.


We have not received any official explanation of the need for these restrictions nor any indication of how long they will be kept in force. We are further disturbed that these restrictions come at a time when the Government of Israel is promising publicly to ease the plight of the population in the occupied Palestinian territory and to support humanitarian relief efforts.


If the Government of Israel is serious about wishing to support our humanitarian efforts, these restrictions should be lifted immediately.


Signatories:


United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)

World Food Programme (WFP)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

World Health Organisation (WHO)

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Médecins sans Frontières

Médecins du Monde

Pharmaciens sans Frontières - Comité International

OXFAM GB

Care International

MERLIN

Enfants Refugiés du Monde

Solidaridad Internacional

CRIC (Centro Regionale d'Intervento per la Cooperazione)

Movement for Peace, Disarmament and Liberty

UNA International Service (UK)

World Vision


For more information contact: Paul McCann at UNRWA HQ Gaza on (972) 8 677 7526.


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UNRWA PRESS RELEASE
12 May 2003
Press Release No. HQ/G/06/2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Gaza Closure Cripples UN Relief Work

Gaza - A complete closure of the Gaza Strip imposed by Israel on UN international staff has crippled the Gaza operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the largest aid agency in the Middle East.


In violation of the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN, Israeli’s military imposed a blockade on Gaza at 19:30hrs yesterday (Sunday). UNRWA staff urgently needed by the Agency’s operation in the West Bank and other parts of the region have been trapped inside the Strip, while staff normally resident in Gaza and needed on duty there have been stranded in Israel. The UN’s diplomatic pouch was also prevented from leaving Gaza this morning.


The closure follows two weeks of delays, obstruction and interrogations of UN staff at the Erez crossing point into and out of Gaza. UN staff have been held for up to seven hours at the border while security checks have been carried out. Some have been forced to submit to interviews by Israel’s intelligence services to secure passage, while intrusive search procedures have been increased. None of UNRWA’s 7,800 Palestinian staff in the Gaza Strip have been able to enter Israel on duty for the Agency since October 2000.


Israel requested that UNRWA continue its operations in Gaza and the West Bank when the Palestinian territory was occupied by Israel in 1967. The Agency and the Government of Israel have a specific legal accord, known as the 1967 Comay-Michelmore Agreement, which sets out Israel's obligations. These include the requirement "to permit international staff of the Agency to move in, out and within Israel and the areas in question" and "to permit the free movement of UNRWA vehicles into, within and out of Israel and the areas in question".


UNRWA’s protests to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence have so far had no effect.


Karen Koning AbuZayd, UNRWA’s Deputy Commissioner-General said: "UNRWA understands Israel’s security concerns, but the fact is that nothing has ever been found on an UNRWA international staff member to warrant the searches and procedures. I find it incomprehensible that all my staff are locked in or locked out of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli authorities must lift this closure to allow us to carry out our humanitarian mandate."


-Ends-


Note to Editors: UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) is a relief and human development agency, providing education, healthcare, social services and emergency services to over four million refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic.

For more information contact: Paul McCann at UNRWA HQ Gaza on 972 (0)8 677 7526 or 972 (0)59428008


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