John Ging, Director of UNRWA’s Gaza Field Office, highlighted that “a compensation package is urgently needed for the hundreds of families whose livelihoods have been wiped out by bird flu.” Mr. Ging visited Juhr El-Deik Municipality, at the invitation of the Mayor, to meet with refugee farmers whose chickens have been culled due to recent outbreaks of avian influenza within the Gaza Strip. The culls were ordered and carried out by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Read more about Compensation package for farmers urgently needed 

Rafah was open daily during the reporting period for the standard nine hours. On 14 March four truckloads of furniture and handicrafts were exported via Rafah to Egypt, using the back-to-back system under the supervision of the EU BAM. No other truck loads have crossed since. No security incident on the Palestinian side of the crossing was reported. However, on 14 March, the EU BAM closed Rafah 75 minutes earlier than scheduled. The decision was taken jointly with the Palestinian border officials in reaction to the tense situation in the Gaza Strip due to the events in Jericho. The passages did not open continuously. Karni was open for limited imports on four days only. Exports were allowed on two days. Read more about Update: The Implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access 

Improving infrastructure, gaining greater access to markets and diversifying economic activity are among the measures recommended in a United Nations report issued today aimed at helping to alleviate the economic hardship faced by Palestinians in the West Bank. The report, issued by the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, says that “since 2000 a progressive fragmentation of established patterns of economic activity has taken place in the West Bank, involving the breakdown of relations with Israel, between districts and between urban and rural economies.” In particular, the report focuses on the “negative economic impact on all communities near it” of the construction by Israel of a separation barrier. Read more about Measures needed to alleviate economic hardship in the West Bank – UN report 

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights expresses grave concern over the continued closure of Al-Muntar (Karni) checkpoint, east of Gaza City. The closure has halted the importation and exportation of basic goods, medicines, and other commodities. The closed checkpoint is the only commercial crossing connecting the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, Israel and the outside world. PCHR is concerned over the potentially devastating effects of this continued closure, representing the continued strangulation of the Palestinian economy, particularly in the Gaza Strip. Read more about Gaza Strip markets suffer from a severe shortage in dairy products, basic goods, and medicines 

In a remarkable judgement, Thursday 26th Jan 2006, after a half time application by the defence team in the Uxbridge 7 trial, a District judge ruled that seven anti-apartheid protesters who had blockaded the Israeli agricultural export company, Agrexco UK, had no case to answer and the case was dismissed. The charges of Aggravated Trespass and Failure to Leave Land were dismissed after District Judge Barnes sitting in Uxbridge Magistrates Court, found that the evidence against the defendants was too tenuous� to justify continuing with a trial. The trial had been listed for seven days but ended on the morning of the fourth day with the dramatic acquittals. Read more about Agrexco Blockaders Acquitted in UK Trial