<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[UNDP official: Israel denies development rights in&nbsp;Gaza]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><img src='https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/127452_345x230.jpg' alt='' /></p>
<p>April 27, 2011</p>
<p>GAZA (Ma’an) &#8212; UNDP&#8217;s Gaza office head Sascha Garumann said Wednesday that the international community must re-focus on development in the enclave, despite the &#8220;serious impediment&#8221; of Israel&#8217;s blockade and occupation.</p>
<p>The bulk of international efforts go to humanitarian assistance, the development agency official said, urging the community to &#8220;go beyond&#8221; emergency support.</p>
<p>Palestinians are &#8220;highly educated, and can help themselves,&#8221; he told Ma&#8217;an.</p>
<p>At the same time, the policies of Israel in Gaza &#8220;deny [Palestinian] rights to development,&#8221; Garumann said, noting &#8220;you can&#8217;t develop an economy in this context.&#8221;</p>
<p>Recent changes to the blockade were &#8220;very minimal,&#8221; he continued.</p>
<p>His comments followed a tour of a UNDP-supervised project in the Strip, funded by the Japanese government, to develop the skills of youth by placing them with NGOs for six-month periods, enabling them to practically apply their abilities. The project targets around 230 graduates who are unemployed, Garumann said during the tour.</p>
<p>The project should highlight to the international community and donors the type of projects that can be achieved in Gaza, he said. Israel&#8217;s policies are &#8220;not an excuse for us,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We believe that Palestinian youth and all Palestinians support development,&#8221; Garumann said during his project-visit, but Israel&#8217;s closure &#8220;hinders the development process in Gaza.&#8221;</p>
<p>UNDP is working hard with the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop these policies against Gaza, Garumann said.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=382671">Source</a></p>
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