Friday, January 20, 2012

Humanitarian chief warns UN of Palestine 'de-development'

UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos speaks
during a news conference in Khartoum on Jan. 4, 2012.
(REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

UNITED NATIONS (Ma'an) -- The UN humanitarian chief has told the Security Council that Israel's settlement building in the West Bank and blockade of Gaza is harming Palestinian economic development.

Israel's dismantling of the Karni crossing into Gaza will further harm business in the coastal enclave, Valerie Amos said, adding the closure "will have the impact of de-developing Gaza rather than re-developing Gaza."

Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, also briefed the Security Council on Israel's zoning and planning regulations in Area C, the 62 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control in the Wednesday meeting, the UN news service said.

She expressed concern that the growing settlement population in the West Bank was adversely affecting development and access to basic services for Palestinians.

Maan News Agency

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