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الموقع تحت الإنشاء

النسخة التجريبية من موقع النهضة العربية (أرض)

“Coronavirus” and the Israeli siege worsen the suffering of the Palestinians   Briefs about the state of social protection in the Arab world

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Palestinians have a long experience in dealing with crises under a dreadful occupation, yet today they are facing even more extraordinary challenges due to the spread of the coronavirus and the nature of the Israeli occupation, which limits their sovereignty over their land and borders.

The corona pandemic hit the core of the Palestinian economy, with the Palestinian government estimating that the total loss of the Palestinian economy due to the virus reached $3.8 million, and that various sectors will be affected.[i]

The cost of the Palestinian plan to face the pandemic reached around $137 million. It covers medication, equipment, and the preparation of the health sector to face the ramifications of the virus in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem. This all only worsens the already precarious living, economic and health conditions in Gaza Strip, under Israeli siege and suffering from the consequences of the internal political division.[ii]

In Gaza Strip, where more close to 2 million Palestinians live under extremely difficult economic conditions due to the continuous Israeli siege, imposed in 2006, the pandemic only exacerbated the misery. Between 15,000 and 20,000 Palestinians lost their jobs after the closure of economic enterprises by the governmental authorities designated to deal with the global pandemic.[iii]

As part of a series of briefs about the state of social protection in the Arab world, Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) presents the Palestinian state’s procedures and responses in the fight against the corona pandemic, and in protecting vulnerable groups such as the poor, the elderly, children, migrants, refugees and the disabled.

The occupation deliberately neglects and delays providing the required needs, and deters official Palestinian and domestic parties in Jerusalem and its suburbs from taking the procedures needed to fight the virus. Compounding the problem is lack of medical capacity and an serious financial crisis that prevents Palestinian officials from paying medication providers, operational costs, and salaries of doctors, nurses, specialists and administrative staff.[iv]

Around half a million Palestinian workers who work in the informal sector are economically affected by corona; around 320,000 workers are paid, on average, 84.7 Israeli shekels per month (around $24). It is estimated that there are more than 1 million workers in the state of Palestine; 210,000 work in the government sector, 668,000 in the private sector and 133,000 in Israel and its colonies.[v]

Health wise, As for Palestinians in Israeli prisons, according to prison officials and individuals investigating their conditions, the corona virus threatens the lives of at least 5,000 among them.”, The figure is more of an estimation, as it is difficult for civil society and human rights organisations to acquire information about the circumstances of the prisoners due to the prisoner isolation imposed by the Israeli occupier’s Prisons Service and the termination of all family and lawyer visits.[vi]

During the pandemic, the occupation exacerbates the deprivation of Palestinian children denied the simplest basic human rights, such as medical treatment, education, nutrition, fair trial”, detention and others, in total disregard of their young age and innocence, and of the minimal rules of treatment of detained children.[vii]

Due to the spread of corona, most women’s microprojects in Palestine face a big challenge; their continuity is threatened, especially by the enforcement of home isolation and curfews that stop all aspects of life. Housewives started creating work opportunities inside their homes, making use of agricultural lands and home kitchens to make food and sell it for prices suitable for all, but the changes in lifestyle engendered by corona hindered their projects.[viii]

UN Women warned that corona is bound to increase women’s vulnerability and gender inequality in Palestine, especially when gender equality is absent from the national and institutional efforts to fight the epidemic, and that the social and economic effect will lead to the aggravation of gender inequality and women’s vulnerability.[ix]

Besides the general challenges they already face, disabled people in Palestine now find it even harder to attain their basic political, social, economic and cultural rights. This, in turn, increases the challenges their parents or relatives face, especially due to the closure of charities working with people with disabilities, which forces the latter to home isolate, and to the difficulty to meet their special needs due to the worsening economic situation. All this has strongly affected them and led to the deterioration of their mental health.[x]

Many measures and recommendations show Palestinians’ preoccupation with the need to protect the elderly, who are particularly vulnerable to the disease, from the virus and to maintain their mental health. The elderly, it is believed are in great need of protection and positive solidarity.[xi]

Despite the lack of resources, challenges and hindrances, particularly the financial limitations, many individuals and civil society organisations in Palestine are responding to the pandemic through campaigns raising awareness about the disease, and ways to protect oneself from it, and including though maintaining rigorous hygiene.[xii]

In light of the spread of the corona pandemic among the Palestinians, the occupation power must be forced by the international community to meet its basic obligations towards the people it occupies, granting them their essential needs and facilitating the delivery of urgent humanitarian and medical needs to fight this pandemic. Israel should also be made to desist from its persistent practices and policies, such as demolition of houses and health facilities, displacement and detention throughout the occupied Palestinian lands.

[i] $13 Million Is the Cost for Palestine to Fight Corona

[ii] Red Cross: “Corona” Aggravates the Situation in Gaza Strip

[iii] Red Cross: “Corona” Aggravates the Situation in Gaza Strip

[iv] Palestinians Confirm the Occupations’ Deliberate Spread of “Corona” Among Jerusalemites

[v] Millions of Dollars in Losses… Half a Million Palestinian Workers Affected by The Corona Pandemic

[vi] Coronavirus Threatens the Lives of 5,000 Palestinian Prisoners

[vii] Corona Did Not Stop the Occupation from Oppressing Children

[viii] The Corona Pandemic Eliminates Women’s Individual Initiatives

[ix] UN Women Warns That Corona Risks the Increase of Women’s Vulnerability

[x] Corona Makes the Lives of the Disabled Harder

[xi] Homes in Palestine… The Stories of Yesterday and Corona

[xii] Domestic Organisations in Gaza: The Ramifications of Conditioned Funds and The Challenges of Corona

[i] $13 Million Is the Cost for Palestine to Fight Corona

[ii] Red Cross: “Corona” Aggravates the Situation in Gaza Strip

[iii] Red Cross: “Corona” Aggravates the Situation in Gaza Strip

[iv] Palestinians Confirm the Occupations Deliberate Spread of “Corona” Among Jerusalemites

[v] Millions of Dollars in Losses… Half a Million Palestinian Workers Affected by The Corona Pandemic

[vi] Coronavirus Threatens the Lives of 5 Thousand Palestinian Prisoners

[vii] Corona Did Not Stop the Occupation from Oppressing Children

[viii] The Corona Pandemic Eliminates Women’s Individual Initiatives

[ix] UN Women Warns That Corona Risks the Increase of Women’s Vulnerability

[x] Corona Makes the Lives of the Disabled Harder

[xi] Homes in Palestine… The Stories of Yesterday and Corona

[xii] Domestic Organisations in Gaza: The Ramifications of Conditioned Funds and The Challenges of Corona