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July 10, 2009

UN To Help Gaza Remove Rubble From Israeli Bombing
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The United Nations has launched a project to remove half a million tons
of concrete rubble from Gaza Strip districts bombed and bulldozed by
Israeli forces. Jens-Anders Toyberg-Frandzen of the United Nations
Development Program said the residents of Gaza face an uphill battle in
their attempt to rebuild from the war.

Jens-Anders Toyberg-Frandzen: “Well, at the moment we cannot rebuild.
That is of course very sad. We don’t have access to cement, we don’t
have access to construction material because of the borders being
closed. So we cannot build houses, but what we have to do, we have to
remove the rubble before houses can be built and there is nothing to
prevent us from removing the rubble now that we have got the funds
available to do so.”

Israel prohibits the import of cement and steel, which Gazans need to
rebuild their homes, on the grounds that they could be used for military
purposes by Hamas.



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