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Fatah: Suspended Funding to Yasser Arafat Foundation ‘Temporary’

Nasser al-Kidwa. Reuters file photo
Nasser al-Kidwa. Reuters file photo
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Fatah: Suspended Funding to Yasser Arafat Foundation ‘Temporary’

Nasser al-Kidwa. Reuters file photo
Nasser al-Kidwa. Reuters file photo

A decision taken by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to cut off funding to the Yasser Arafat Foundation is “temporary” and “will not affect the institution’s staff,” said Munir al-Jaghoub, who heads Fatah’s Information Department in the Office of Mobilization and Organization.

The move aims to prevent the institution from being exploited for personal ends, Jaghoub explained.

The Palestine Liberation Organization’s institutions belong to the Palestinian people and are not allowed to be used for election campaigning purposes, he stressed.

His comments came after head of the Yasser Arafat Foundation Nasser al-Kidwa was dismissed last week from Fatah’s membership.

Work is underway to sack Kidwa from the Foundation, so funding would be restored immediately after that, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

In a Zoom meeting on Monday, Kidwa briefed his party about the president’s decision and revealed a document signed by head of the Palestine National Fund (PNF) Ramzi Khoury instructing PA Minister of Finance Shukri Bishara to halt all direct and indirect payments to the Foundation on orders from Abbas as of March 11.

The Yasser Arafat Foundation is an independent non-profit organization, established in 2008 to preserve Arafat’s heritage and legacy. It also addresses the development of charitable, humanitarian, social and academic activities that serve the Palestinian people.

Kidwa, the 67-year-old nephew of the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, had earlier announced his candidacy for the elections on his own electoral list, which would consist of independents and business people.

He also announced the establishment of the Palestinian National Democratic Forum that would run in the elections, stressing that he was trying to put Fatah back on the right path.

The parliamentary and presidential polls are set for May 22 and July 31, respectively, and will be the first Palestinian elections in 15 years.

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Arab World

Northern Gaza Residents: Stuck in Open Air Living

Gazan families receive no more than 50 liters of water daily in Beit Lahia Camp (AP)
Gazan families receive no more than 50 liters of water daily in Beit Lahia Camp (AP)
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Northern Gaza Residents: Stuck in Open Air Living

Gazan families receive no more than 50 liters of water daily in Beit Lahia Camp (AP)
Gazan families receive no more than 50 liters of water daily in Beit Lahia Camp (AP)

The return of Palestinian refugees from southern Gaza to the north has been difficult, especially due to the extensive damage to homes and infrastructure in the area. Many residents, who had hoped for better conditions than life in tents, have found little relief.

After months of living in tents during the Israeli conflict, they returned to the north only to find few homes available, with some even unable to find space to set up their tents.

The return of nearly 800,000 displaced people to northern Gaza has created significant challenges for the Hamas-led Gaza government. The situation has revealed unexpected difficulties, particularly as Israel has not yet kept its promise to deliver much-needed relief supplies, such as tents and caravans.

The sight of massive destruction has overshadowed the living conditions in Jabalia Camp and the towns of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun for many returning residents.

This has forced local authorities, according to sources speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, to expand bulldozing efforts in several key areas, increasing the space available for tents to shelter residents.

However, the task has been complicated by the difficulty of acquiring the necessary equipment to clear rubble and debris.

Mohammed Abu Obeid, a resident of Jabalia Camp, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the situation worsened when authorities were unable to provide sufficient water for residents.

This has led people to rely on water deliveries via trucks, which transport large amounts from Gaza City to the camp. The goal is to provide each family with approximately 50 liters of water daily, but Abu Obeid noted that this amount is hardly enough.

Abu Obeid pointed out that residents are unable to find any nearby power sources. As night falls, they are forced to remain in their tents or, for those who still have homes or managed to salvage a room from heavily damaged buildings, stay there with their families.

“We didn’t expect life to be this grim, this full of hell,” he remarked.

Suhad Abu Hussein, a resident of the camp, shared that she spent her first night back in northern Gaza sleeping in the open.

She waited until the second day, when technical teams managed to clear a small portion of rubble which allowed them to begin setting up available tents.

Hussein explained that she is currently living in a tent just three meters in size. However, she faces significant challenges due to the lack of water and any power source, leaving residents in complete darkness without even basic street lighting.

Gaza’s municipality has warned that the lack of services will make life even harder for displaced people returning to their areas.

They explained that the water supply only covers 40% of the city, and the water available doesn’t meet the residents’ needs due to damage to water networks. More than 75% of the city's central wells have been destroyed.

The municipality stressed that it cannot provide even basic services to the displaced without heavy machinery. It urgently needs equipment to repair wells and sewage networks. Despite limited resources, efforts continue to clear streets and remove rubble to help the displaced return and allow residents to move around.

Israel has blocked the entry of heavy machinery, tents, caravans, and other supplies. Hamas has been in talks with mediators to address these restrictions.

Ahmed Al-Asi, a young man from Beit Lahia, affirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat there are no bakeries in his town or in Jabalia Camp.

He has to travel more than 6 kilometers to Gaza City’s Nasr neighborhood every day to buy bread for his family of 18, spending about 40 shekels ($12) daily.