IMF to pay $2m for healthcare sector in Gaza

The spokesman of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Ashraf Al-Qidra, said on Tuesday that the IMF is to pay $2 million to support the needs of the healthcare sector in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Qidra, who hailed this step, said that a quarter of the money is to be paid to cleaning companies as part of their dues accumulated over the last nine months.

The spokesman called for local, regional and international donors to intensify their efforts to support the needs of his ministry in Gaza, and to help contributing to ending the accumulated crises caused by the 8-year long Israeli siege.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian ministerial council decided on Tuesday to pay part of the dues owed to cleaning companies working in Gaza, pledging that the remaining amounts will be paid when more funds are available.

Cleaning companies in Gaza went on industrial strike for a 16-day period in order to protest their absence dues over the last nine months. They ended the strike the government promised to pay them.