Discussion on the standards of reconstruction projects and the needs of persons with disabilities in Gaza
Gaza Online – Gaza
Social Developmental Forum – SDF organized on Tuesday a workshop entitled “The extent of response of reconstruction projects to the needs of persons with disabilities”, in Latirna restaurant in Gaza City with a wide participation of NGOs and bodies representing persons with disabilities in Gaza Strip and the participation of all parties related to reconstruction process; representatives of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Ministry of Local Government, the National Office for reconstruction, Palestinian IDP Association, UNRWA and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The workshop organized within the project activities of “Enhance the local response to the right to work and access for people with disabilities in Gaza Strip “ which implemented by SDF and funded by The Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat.
The role of Ministry of Work
The director of North Governorate at Ministry of Public Work and Housing Eng. Mohamed Aboud says “The Palestinian Disabled Law guarantees the right of people with disabilities to live a decent life and the law also guaranteed facilitated access for persons with disabilities to the services and facilities”. He noted that 50% of the destroyed units in the aggression on Gaza in 2014 is reconstructed and the work underway with financiers to complete the rest of the units.
Aboud pointed out that there is two types of reconstruction buildings:
Residential modular: the citizen himself reconstructs his home according to follow up stages by the ministry, as the owner of the building is more familiar in his home and what he needs, and if informed us that there is a person with a disability in the family, we direct the owner of the building, for advice and not for coercion.
Public housing units: Cited the example of the Al-Zafer Tower, which has been and continues to be rebuilt from the Qatari charity, Aboud said: “We are coordinating with the council of the tower directors, where they inquire about the needs and supplies for the tower and report it out.”
He said that the units which have been built modern as projects are allocated the ground floor for people with disabilities.
He called for the resumption of the body stopped after continuous wars, a body to create buildings includes the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Local Government, Social Affairs and Higher Education as well as civil society organizations and thus they have a role in the rehabilitation of buildings depends on the database in the Ministry of Social Affairs, and today is the completion of the radio episode to set recommendations to provide service to this vitality important category.
Local Government
A representative of Local Government Khalid Maarouf said that he does not accept any general design does not take into account people with disabilities, pointing out that is not limited to buildings, but there is another rights in the parks, hospitals, sea and whole public places.
Pointing to the need for an awareness of the importance of this category in the community, not in the generalizations and decisions only, saying, “We worked on the study of the rehabilitation of existing buildings, and ask the municipal to adapt those buildings.”
Maarouf pointed that they are preparing formal document to be adopted in all ministries, where it is a general framework for all the required conditions for persons with disabilities.
He also pointed to the lack of a technical manual as a national and technical reference generalized to abide by regarding the buildings and facilities for persons with disabilities.
Caring and Following up
In his part, Eng. Mohammad Qasim, the representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that the program is interested in the needs of persons with disabilities through programs that are currently preparing such Fakhura program, where the new facilities and other residential projects have been adapted for persons with disabilities. He pointed that they constructed seven public schools adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities, where they placed an elevator at every school and facilitated the facilities and taking into account the needs of the rest of the multiple disabilities and the program is permanent readiness to listen to the observations or recommendations regarding to the projects being implemented.
On the other hand the representative of UNRWA Eng.Mouin Meqat pointed that UNRWA has a great role in the Gazans support sector in general, noting that UNRWA is currently working on the implementation of a whole new cities and considering all matters pertaining to people with disabilities from the corridors, sidewalks and streets .
He reported that all the criteria and considerations for people with disabilities was taking in the project that established in Khan Younis which includes 1200 resident