Oxfam: Five years of blockade shatters Gaza’s once thriving economy

Five years since the start of the government of Israel's blockade of Gaza, imposed on security grounds, its once thriving economy is in ruins, with 30 percent of businesses closed and 80 percent of people recipients of humanitarian aid, says international aid agency Oxfam and Palestinian export development body, Palestine Trade Center- PalTrade.

Oxfam's International Director Jeremy Hobbs, said:

"There is no natural reason for Gaza to be in the humanitarian situation it is in now– a look at Gaza before the blockade shows clearly the entrepreneurial, resourceful character of Palestinians who worked with their Israeli counterparts to export their products to the rest of the world. Compared to five years ago, Gaza is an industrial wasteland. Oxfam condemns violence targeting civilians on both sides, and we condemn this blockade that primarily harms civilians. The crossings can be equipped with the technology necessary to address Israel's legitimate security concerns while allowing for the free flow of people and goods. In order to create the environment necessary for a just, durable peace, all parties must respect their obligations under international law."

Citing security concerns, the government of Israel imposed a blockade on all border crossings in and out of the Gaza Strip following the Hamas takeover in June 2007. The current blockade amounts to illegal collective punishment because the whole of Gaza's civilian population is being punished for acts for which they bear no responsibility. Over the past five years, the near ban on traditional export products, such as textiles, furniture, and processed foods, coupled with limitations on the import of raw materials needed for production, has had a devastating impact, with the annual level of exports in 2011 plummeting to less than 3 percent of pre-blockade levels.

Gaza's traditional exports to the Israeli market and Palestinian internal trade with the West Bank remain effectively closed. more

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