U.N. Body Slams Inaction on Palestinian Refugees after Shipwreck
A U.N. body on Friday slammed a lack of action over Palestinian refugees, after nine Palestinians were reported to be among 50 migrants who drowned off Sicily's coast.
The latest migrant drowning tragedy in the Mediterranean claimed several dozen lives, the International Organization for Migration has said, after a boat capsized with more than 150 people on board on March 5.
"The fact that this group reportedly consisted of Palestine refugees from Syria, as well as from Gaza and Lebanon, is a clear and tragic sign that Palestine refugees are finding life in Syria and beyond increasingly untenable," U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA's spokesman Chris Gunness said in a statement.
"These tragedies... stem not only from armed conflict, occupation and a lack of protection of human rights, but more fundamentally from the failure to resolve the Palestine refugee problem," he said.
"At a time of rising extremism in the Middle East region, the failure of the international community to resolve the Palestinian issue takes on an added significance."
The accident claimed at least 50 lives, 40 more than first thought, the IOM said Thursday.
Italy's coastguard rescued 127 people and recovered 10 bodies after a boat capsized when its passengers rushed to one side of the vessel in a stampede to get onto the arriving coastguard boat.
The deaths took the migrant death toll in the waters between north Africa and southern Italy to more than 400 since the start of the year, according to the IOM.
A total of 170,000 migrants landed in Italy in the whole of 2014 and current trends suggest that record figure is likely to be exceeded this year.
In another shipwreck in the Mediterranean last September, dozens of Palestinians from the besieged and war-ravaged Gaza Strip were believed to be among 500 migrants who perished.
21 March 2015, 09:27
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Oh, so it's also the Isaraelis fault that there are hundreds of thousands of Iraqi, Syrian, Libyan, and African refugees trying to reach Europe. I suppose that you are going to tell us, in your infinite wisdom, that Israel has also taken their land.
21 March 2015, 12:12
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No, I'm just talking about Palestine, because it's the clear truth. You invade, take land, people are forced to leave by the invaders. It's you who are speaking up about the rest and defending the Israelis...not me. I do believe this story is mainly about Palestinians? Sorry if I said anything about your beloved Zionist brothers Phillipo.
21 March 2015, 22:17
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So Mobious125, what you are actually saying that you couldn't care less about the other 41 dead on the boat, you care only about the Palestinians.
For over 60 years the Palestinian refugees were refused citizenship in the countries in the area, and none of them tried to go by boat to Europe. So what has happened in the last couple of years that you can possibly blame Israel for?
22 March 2015, 12:05
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You would make such a great politician phillipo, when did I say I didn't care about the rest? It's about looking at the root cause. Your comment about 'what has happened in the last couple of years that you can blame Israel for' is very alarming, and clearly shows your lack of knowledge and understanding on what is going on in the region, which again would make you perfect for a political role.
