JERUSALEM-WESTBANK-GAZA - The Mawasi area is the most fertile area in the Gaza Strip, and just one of the examples of the regions where nowadays the poverty rate is staggering. Farmers here are not able to adequately work their land or export their products to markets outside of Mawasi. 40% of the agricultural workforce has left and agricultural production has been cut by 90%.

Fishermen face the same problem, as the Israeli authorities do not permit full access to the beach, have closed off the fishing marinas and confiscated fishing boat engines and fishing tools.

The people of Mawasi, 85% of whom are unemployed, are in desperate need of assistance. They rarely have continuous access to electricity and water; they use kerosene or petrol stoves for cooking because they have no gas. Each and every man, woman and child is confined to a 14 square kilometre strip of land, which has become their prison, not their home.

8,100 Palestinians residing in the Mawasi area are surrounded by 14 Israeli settlements. Freedom of movement for Palestinians is highly restricted, and if permission is granted, it can take days to cross the checkpoints.

In spite of the tight restrictions with regards to accessing this area, World Vision and a coalition of Christian International NGOs were able to distribute 1,200 food kits and 1,200 bags of flour to Mawasi in March 2003. World Vision is continuing to supply basics to help Palestininas to overcoime the longlasting crisis

Further distributions will be made possible, as funding is received.