Translated by Sabrin Qadah 

Ramallah -  the Consumer Protection Association in Ramallah and Al-Bireh stressed on the importance of activating  policies and strategies to fight poverty in Palestine on the occasion of  the World Day to fight Poverty which happens on 17/10 of each year, and the importance of highlighting that the main cause of poverty is the occupation and the policy of  stealing land from its owners through settlements and the separation wall, and the effects of the Nakba that deprived Palestinians their properties and resources as components of living, and the economic consequences of the June 1967 defeat, increasing the proportion of poor people, the siege that followed,  confiscation of natural resources of the Palestinians, isolation and siege policy.

In its press release, the association called on the Palestinian government ,within the agenda of national policies, to form a strategy to combat poverty and integrate it into the competent ministries’ programs, and the need to focus on pivotal issues like developing and activating the social safety net that concern with poor families, and activating national policies to combat poverty and integration of the poor. It also called on the need to work on programs to create jobs in the Palestinian territories to decrease poverty, to work on establishing a bank for the poor, where the bank depends on micro lending programs, social housing and facilitator housing issues.

The association stressed that an important and vital role is placed on the shoulders of civil society organizations represented by charities, Zakat and poor student support committees through the adoption of Palestinian student support Fund, and the necessity to activate subsistence programs through international relief agency, and international programs that are responsible for relief and aid.

The association also indicated that protecting the poor consumer rights and families led by women is a task held by the Consumer Protection association by manipulating the prices down and providing basic goods with affordable prices, enhancing competitiveness, promoting social responsibility among the Palestinian private sector, and defending the rights of the poor in water, electricity and telecommunications sectors.

The secretary of the association, Rania Al-Khayri, said that the theme of 2016 is to go out of humiliation and exclusion circle to the participation horizon: eradication of all shapes of poverty

United Nations goal in sustainable development known as "Elimination of all forms of poverty everywhere,” considers that poverty is not only the result of the absence of only one thing , but because of many inter-related and  various factors that affect the lives of people living in poverty.

Al-Khayri added that we participate with the world in the fight against poverty, and we have privacy especially in Palestine that requires doubled efforts in this file, and sharing roles between the government, the private sector and the community sector.