Gazans mark Int’l Day of Persons with Disabilities

By Mohamed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Dozens of Palestinians staged a rally in the Gaza Strip on Sunday to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

“We are here to draw attention to the rights and demands of people with disabilities in Gaza,” Amjad al-Shawa, chairman of the Palestinian Non-governmental Organizations Network, told participants.

Participants, who gathered outside the cabinet premises in Gaza City, waved banners calling on the government to fulfill the needs of disabled people in the enclave.

“People with disabilities are the most vulnerable people in Gaza and are paying the heaviest price for the Israeli blockade on the strip,” al-Shawa said.

There are around 27,000 people with disabilities in Gaza and the West Bank, according to official Palestinian figures.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed Dec. 3 as the International Day of Disabled Persons in 1992.

It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.