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UN: Gaza unemployment rises to 49 percent
APNewsNow (AP) - JERUSALEM A U.N. report says nearly half of all Gazans are unemployed and is calling Israel's stringent closure of the Palestinian territory a "profound human dignity crisis."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The report says Gaza's 1.4 million people are increasingly preoccupied with obtaining basic supplies such as water and food.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says unemployment now stands at 49 percent, up from 32 percent a year ago. Thursday's report says residents of Gaza City are without power for up to 16 hours a day. Half the city's residents receive water only once a week for a few hours.
Israel and Egypt sealed Gaza after the Islamic militant Hamas seized power 18 months ago. Israel intensified the closure after more fighting in November.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
