United Nations Radio

Over forty United Nations agencies and their partners working in Gaza have expressed concern over Israel's continued blockade of Gaza. The blockade has now been in force for two years.

Israeli security barrier

The agencies in Jerusalem, on the anniversary of the blockade on Wednesday, say the indiscriminate sanctions imposed by Israel are affecting the entire population of Gaza with ordinary women, children and the elderly the first victims.

The spokesman for the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees, Chris Gunness, says the agencies are calling for the lifting of the blockade.

"People in Gaza have got to be allowed free humanitarian access: not just access for UN goods and for humanitarian goods, but the crossings have to be opened so that trade can happen, so that exports can come out of Gaza because almost all of the economy has been completely devastated before the fighting recently but also before that because of the blockade."

Chris Gunness notes that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other leaders have described what is happening in Gaza as collective punishment of the one-and-a-half million people there.

Diane Bailey, United Nations.

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