In Palestine, no job means no health insurance
The Palestinian government recently decided to halt health insurance for Palestinian unemployed citizens, sparking angry reactions among civil society organizations in light of the deteriorating economic conditions for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian unemployed citizens.
GAZA, Gaza Strip — According to official figures published by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics on Feb. 16, the unemployment rate in Palestine climbed to 26.9%, with 360,500 unemployed out of a total workforce of 1.3 million in Palestine, while the poverty rate in the Gaza Strip exceeded 80%, according to the Zakat Department affiliated with the Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments.
Despite these staggering figures, the Palestinian Cabinet announced Feb. 15 the cancellation of all health insurance benefits granted to unemployed citizens starting March 1.
