World Bank Report: "Palestinian crisis is worse than expected"

[Englander]

Report, Worldbank, 8 May 2006

The Quartet has stated that the Hamas movement must meet a number of basic political conditions, and has connected Hamas' response to levels and forms of future donor assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Government of Israel (GOI) has also indicated that it is not prepared to conduct political relations with Hamas unless it modifies its basic stance towards the State of Israel.

The Evolving Economic Situation

In mid-March, the World Bank modeled the impacts of a possible combination of actions by GOI and the donor community -- see below. Readers are referred to Scenario 4, which assumed for 2006 the following: continued GOI withholding of Palestinian tax revenues collected on the PA's behalf; border trade restrictions comparable to those enacted in 2005; a 50 percent reduction in the average 2005 level of daily labor flows into Israel from Gaza and the West Bank; and a reduction in donor disbursements of US$200 million, or 15 percent, as compared with last year.

>snip

The Current Fiscal Emergency and its Possible Impacts

The PA's liquidity crisis is unprecedented. In 2005, the PA was able to access a total of US$2.15 billion for the Budget, or some US$180 million per month; in the first quarter of 2006, Budget resources declined to approximately US$130 million per month. For April, resources may not exceed US$50-55 million. This contraction has been caused by a combination of factors, the most important of which is Israel's withholding of Palestinian revenues. The OECD donors' suspension of budget-related disbursements, the failure of the Arab League states to come forward with promised levels of support and the reluctance of commercial banks to lend to/bank for the new government are also significant.

If today's strictures remain or intensify, the PA may be looking at no more than US$25 million in domestic revenues per month, and no banking system with which to distribute them. Under such circumstances, with current monthly wage bills running at c. US$95 million, those Palestinians employed by the PA or dependent on PA salaries (estimated at 30 percent of the population) will suffer major income reductions--while the PA is unlikely to be able to provide basic services or maintain law and order.

More at;
ElectronicIntifada

[Oversea Visitor]

1. See

Palestinian State dont really exist
WHY
Isreal control all Palestinian Money.

So now you see why need make demands to them
REAL TRUTH
Palestinian dont really exist.

How can they?
They dont even have control over their own revenue.
They just slave of Isreal as overlord.

I guess HAMA goverment over.
No money at all
EU finally trying to do something but it is too late too late.
So now WHAT?
Have another election?
Why waste money, just ask Isreal who they want give money to.
After all they decide why need vote and all that just shadow play make look nice nice
But really all shit.

[lakeguy]

2. yup, everyone pushed the palestinians to have an election

but then took funding away when they elected the wrong people. sad. it's like kids on the playground in elementary school.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Do you know what you are talking about?

The Palestinians wanted free elections. They got them. Do you understand why they voted Hamas into office?

BTW, Hamas is the "wrong" group. It would be no different if we had elections here and the KKK was voted into office because people were so disillusioned with the Republicans and Democrats! Think the world would accept the KKK as the leaders of the US?

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Oversea Visitor]

8. Ok

But I look at people fighting again a country for freedom different
form people who hate others cause no same colour or religion.

I do not think KKK is in power in US
Let your reps comes out openly and say they KKK and then I believe
Election in US you tell me

And finally PEACE

I have my opinion
And I respect your right to have yours
We may never agreed all the times

[v osk]

12. gaza situation

if you are saying that the palestinians brought the present desperate situation on themselves by voting for hamas, this represents a very disturbing trend. i have heard the same arguments used by ultraleftists justifying suicide bombers - that since Israel is a voting democracy, the population as a whole is responsible for the actions of the government and can therefore be murdered. It seems clear that voting democracy is slowly spreading across the world, sometimes resulting in the election of bad governments, and it cannot become an excuse for the collective punishment of civilian populations, or any sense of human decency will be lost.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. .

:eyes:

What a poor analysis.

[Oversea Visitor]

6. I see thing as they are

You see thing as they are

If my opinion poor ok fine by me

[Violet_Crumble]

9. The caption under the photo sums it up for me...

"Under the Fourth Geneva Conventions, Israel as the occupying power bears the responsibility for the welfare of the Palestinian population. In recent years, international donors and the Palestinian Authority have in practical terms taken on this role."

And if, as is happening now, international donors and the PA no longer take on that role, then it becomes Israel's responsibility as the occupying power to ensure the welfare of the Palestinian population...

Violet...

[Englander]

10. Background on Gaza;

Israel/Occupied Territories: Immediate action needed to avert humanitarian crisis in Gaza

>snip

Background

The Israeli authorities contend that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip ended when Israeli troops were withdrawn from the Strip in September 2005 and, consequently, that Israel is no longer bound by its obligations as an occupying power under international law in the Gaza Strip.

However, Israel continues to control all of the Gaza Strip’s points of entry and exit, as well as its territorial waters and airspace. Israel does not allow the Gaza Strip to have a seaport and destroyed Gaza’s airport in 2001, and only allows goods to enter or leave Gaza via Israel. Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip are permitted to cross the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on foot via the Rafah crossing which is administered by the European Union Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point (EU BAM Rafah), but foreigners are only allowed to enter or leave the Gaza Strip via Israel.

As it remains in effective control of the Gaza Strip, Israel remains bound by its duties as the Occupying Power, as enumerated in the Fourth Geneva Convention. This Convention (Article 33) prohibits the collective punishment of protected persons: "No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited."

According to Article 55 of Geneva IV “To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population; it should, in particular, bring in the necessary foodstuffs, medical stores and other articles if the resources of the occupied territory are inadequate.” And Article 59 specifies: “If the whole or part of the population of an occupied territory is inadequately supplied, the Occupying Power shall agree to relief schemes on behalf of the said population, and shall facilitate them by all the means at its disposal.”

http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engMDE150252006?open&of=eng-ISR

[Scurrilous]

11. Report: Israel responsible for PA collapse

Scathing report issued by Phycisians for Human Rights organization says Palestinian healthcare system collapsing because of aid cuts, Israel curfews; report warns Israel will be held responsible for collapse by international community

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3248935,00.html

<snip>

"The Palestinian health system is facing meltdown as a result of international aid cuts and the curfew imposed by Israel on the Palestinian Authority, part of its effort to boycott the Hamas government.

The latest humanitarian alarm was sounded on Tuesday in a report by the Physicians for Human Rights organization – a non-profit organization whose goal is to safeguard health-related rights of people living in Israel and the Palestinian territories."

<snip>

"In the short term, Israel will bear direct responsibly for the repercussions of the collapse of the social system in general and the health system in particular," the organization said.

The body said that under the Oslo agreement Israel is responsible for the Palestinian health system, as it control water supplies to Palestinian areas and has the power to limit the freedom of movement of the Palestinians.

The report said the should the Palestinian health system collapse due to Israel's decision to halt the transfer of customs revenues to the PA and pressuring foreign donors to curb aid, the Jewish state will have to fund health care costs of 3.5 million Palestinians."

[Englander]

13. Palestinian Authority 'at risk'

The cash-strapped Palestinian Authority may collapse if government employees go without wages for much longer, the World Bank has warned.

Palestinian civil servants have not been paid for the last two months after the US and European Union froze donations after Hamas' election win.

A World Bank report has now cautioned that the 165,000 Palestinian staff could simply start downing tools.

The West is demanding that Hamas recognises Israel's right to exist.

Israel has also stopped handing over customs duties to the Palestinian Authority (PA), worth around $60m (£32m) a month, since Hamas came to power in March.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4984216.stm