Dubai: Over 150,000 Palestinian National Authority employees, including diplomatic staff at the consulate in Dubai and the embassy in Abu Dhabi, are currently without a source of income, a top Palestinian diplomat said yesterday.
"It has now been three months since government employees were paid, which is affecting over one million men, women and children," the Palestinian Consul General to the UAE, Saleem Abu Sultan, told Gulf News.
"The reaction so far from our neighbours in the Arab world, as well as Europe, has not indicated that they care about the suffering of the Palestinian people."
With the recent suspension of direct aid to the PNA by the United States and the European Union, which last year totalled $400 million (Dh1.4 billion) and $600 million (Dh2.2 billion) respectively, the dire humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and Gaza looks set to worsen.
Abu Sultan indicated that only Egypt had responded to the current humanitarian emergency, following Sunday's announcement by an Egyptian medical association that it would donate an initial 5 million Egyptian pounds (Dh3.2 million) worth of medication to address the problem of Gaza's dwindling medical supplies. In addition, last week the Mohammad Bin Rashid Humanitarian and Charity Establishment in Dubai announced a Dh10 million donation in support of the Palestinian healthcare system.
'America's success'
"The people of the West Bank and Gaza are suffering on a daily basis in all areas of their lives, through lack of food, security, medicine and money for daily expenses," Abu Sultan said.
"People are being forced to sell jewellery, furniture and other household items, just to feed their families. This situation is really becoming a humanitarian disaster."
According to Abu Sultan, more Arab countries, particularly the Gulf region, need to be aware of the current crisis taking place in Gaza and the West Bank.
"America on the other hand, continues to build upon its success in making most of the Arab world hate the government, because of its policies in the region. The American president talks about the pursuit of democracy and human rights, yet his actions in the field indicate anything but."
