Gaza refugees protest against UNRWA’s reduction of food coupons

Hundreds of Palestinian refugees in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis protested in front of the UN Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA)’s office yesterday calling for the international organisation to stop reducing its services, Anadolu reported.

The protest, which was organised by the PLO’s Popular Refugee Committee (PRC), was triggered by UNRWA’s reduction in the value of the food coupon distributed to Palestinian refugees in the besieged Gaza Strip.

According to Anadolu, the refugees raised posters reading: “We will not keep silent regarding the hunger and deprivation of our children.”

PRC spokesman Fuad Al-Nawajha said: “Despite the bitter reality inflicted on the Palestinians due to the siege, closure, unemployment occupation and division, the UNRWA imposes food cuts.”

He said that the UNRWA is depriving about 770,000 Palestinian refugees of their right to the food coupons, a move that could have “disastrous consequences”.

UNRWA officials, according to Anadolu, said that food coupons were being reduced in value to allow the organization to support a further 100,000 families.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said in a statement that the reduction of the food coupon would have “disastrous repercussions on the refugees who already experience very bad living conditions… most of them are unable to afford their basic needs.”

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