UAWC accomplishes part of Gaza’s emergency campaign
Ramallah- the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) and its agricultural communities accomplishes the first part of the first phase of the emergent support for Gaza Strip. 120 tons of food and daily necessities were distributed on the displaced families in Gaza within the Gaza’s support campaign launched by UAWC.
UAWC emphasized that its team worked during the first weeks of the Gaza offensive on distributing 400 food baskets in partnership with Oxfam, 300 food baskets in partnership with World Vision, and 200 baskets in partnership with the Welfare Association. At the time, UAWC’s in Gaza are preparing 1500 food baskets for the fishermen families and 700 baskets for the displaced families.
In the same context, UAWC in the West Bank collected around 2000 food baskets and daily necessities in partnership with its agricultural committees in different areas in the West Bank including: Azoun, Falamyeh, and Jayous in the governorate of Qalqilya, Tamoun and Tayaseer and in the Governorate of Toubas, Sa’eer, AlShoukh, Yata and AlSmou’ in the Governorate of Hebron, Bilin, AlMughayer, and Turmusa’ia in the Governorate of Ramallah, in addition to UAWC’s offices in Hebron, Tulkarem, Jenin, Jericho and Ramallah.
The campaign aims to contribute to the support for the Gaza strip in two major phases; emergency response for 10,000 fishermen and famers’ families, while the second phase included emergency intervention such as distributing agricultural needs, production tools, fodder, water, rehabilitation of agricultural structures in addition to implemented small developmental projects for 10,000 agricultural families.
It is important to note that the total direct and indirect losses of the agricultural sector as a results of the Israeli offensive – according to the reports of the Palestinian Ministry of Agricultural – reached 450 million dollars in which 315 million dollars are direct losses and 135 million dollars indirect losses. The total losses in the agricultural production sector reached 194 million dollars in which 131 million of them are direct losses of agricultural structures and equipment. On the other hand, the losses of the livestock sector reached 106 million dollars in which 54 million are direct losses. Moreover the losses in the fishing sector, according to the ministry, reached 10 million dollars in which 8 million are direct losses. Lastly, the losses of the infrastructures reached 138 million dollars in which 120 million are direct losses.
It is important to note that the agricultural land and structures were the main direct target of the Israeli occupation during the Gaza offensive.