Development

Haifa Sports Club used to be a Palestinian cultural centre in Baladiyat in northeastern Baghdad. The Palestinian flag flies high with a sign next to it saying “No to settlements and yes to the right of return”. But since the fall of Saddam Hussein, some Palestinians have found themselves discriminated against and homeless. Now the club has been turned into an informal refugee camp to accommodate about 250 families.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has today protested to the Israeli Government at the actions of its security services that prevented the entire headquarters management of the Agency from leaving the Gaza Strip to attend a high-level meeting.

Monday 26th May, 2003 about 30 international and Palestinian humanitarian and development organizations went in convoy to Erez checkpoint to demand free and unrestricted access.

The long series of Israeli military incursions into the town of Beit Hanoun in the Gaza strip continues and intensifies. The latest gives rise to violent offensive against civilians and their property. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), present in Gaza since the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada, deplores the wanton destruction of people’s lives and is alarmed at the medical, psychological and material consequences on local families affected by this disaster.

On 11 May 2003, the Israeli authorities closed the Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip in both directions for internationals, except for holders of diplomatic visas or passports. The closure affects virtually all international staff of United Nations organisations, NGOs and other humanitarian and development agencies.

The existing conflict in the occupied Palestinian territories has had a negative impact on human settlements and a large number of houses and related infrastructure networks have been destroyed. Since the start of the second intifada around 40,000 dwellings have either been damaged or destroyed.