$50 million lost to Gaza universities due to Israeli siege

Lawmaker Jamal Al Khudari announced on Sunday that the Israeli siege has cost Gaza Strip universities 50 million dollars in development projects.

The Palestinian Legislative Council member and head of the People’s Committee against the Siege, Al Khudari spoke at a College of Applied Science conference today outlining the impact the siege has on the international right to education.

He stressed the major impact that the blockade has on students, from travel bans that have included Fulbright scholars, to the inability to properly run universities and schools without adequate electricity, water or heating during the winter months.

Several major projects have been lost due to the inability to import raw materials for construction. Al Khudari listed medical and technological facilities, in addition to new university buildings as some of most pressing losses.

Addressing the “Technical and Vocational Education in Palestine” conference, Al Khudari noted that a new and creative vision is needed to combat the siege that has kept the Gaza Strip largely paralyzed for nearly two years.