ISRAEL-OPT: Nearly half of Gazans unemployed - UNRWA report

Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone. JERUSALEM, 24 July 2008 - In the Gaza Strip at the end of 2007, over half the population was living below the official poverty line, and unemployment, in real adjusted terms, stood at an "unprecedented high" of about 45 percent, a new UN study released on 24 July said. Most of the poor were extremely destitute, with 35 percent of Gazans living below the deep poverty line set at US$457 per month for a family of six. Overall, the unemployment rate in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) in 2007 remained "amongst the highest in the world" at 29.5 percent, with refugees being hit slightly harder. The socio-economic report for 2007 by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees... [read full story]