Eurasia Press & News
A group of prominent aid agencies warned Thursday that the lives of Palestinians had not improved and may have worsened since the Annapolis conference last November.
The 21 agencies said the Annapolis process which was touted as heralding a new dawn for the Middle East peace process, was a failure.
“Nearly one year on, we are seeing exponential settlement growth, additional check-points and — because of this — further economic stagnation. The Quartet is losing its grip on the Middle East peace process,” Christian Aid director Daleep Mukarji said.
The aid agencies said the Quartet has failed to hold the Zionist regime to account for expanding settlements in the West Bank — which the four powers oppose — and had little impact on boosting freedom of movement for Palestinians.
Moreover the “lack of progress on key goals” set by the Quartet called the group’s entire approach into question, said a new report from the coalition, which includes Oxfam, Save the Children, Christian Aid, CARE and CAFOD.
“Today’s study shows that the Quartet has fundamentally failed to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground,” said David Mepham, Save the Children UK’s director of policy.
“Time is fast running out. The Quartet needs to radically revise its existing approach and show the people of the region that it can help make a difference.”
