OIC report highlights lack of economic infrastructure and unemployment in Palestine

The July Report issued by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (formerly the Organization of Islamic Conference) has said that the Palestinian economy lacks the infrastructure that would enable it to function independently from Israel. This, claims the OIC, has led to the increase in unemployment in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, especially among new graduates.

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The OIC report highlights the major role played by Israel’s siege and ban on exporting Palestinian products in the deterioration of the Palestinian economy and the unemployment problem. Israeli policies have split the same geographical area into parts and hinder the functioning of economic institutions. Markets in neighbouring countries should be opened-up to Palestinian graduates, says the OIC. Additional funding for small projects will also help to ease the burden of unemployment.

The report reviewed the projects in the Gaza Strip that were carried about by international and local NGOs. Contributions from the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah and the French Charity Committee for Supporting Palestine were highlighted, as were the multi-national humanitarian aid convoys and delegations which reached Gaza in July. These, claims the OIC, demonstrate the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The frequent power cuts suffered by Palestinians living under Israel’s siege, and the severe shortage of potable water, remain of special concern, says the report.