UN official stresses Palestinians’ need to have unimpeded and safe access to their groves

A United Nations official stressed Friday the need for Palestinian farmers to have unimpeded and safe access to their groves. Speaking during the daily press briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Thursday, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said: 'Yesterday, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Muhannad Hadi, highlighted concerns related to the upcoming olive harvest while leading a diplomatic visit to Kifl Haris village in the Salfit governorate, alongside humanitarian and development partners.' 'Mr. Hadi stressed that the annual olive harvest is a key economic, social and cultural event for Palestinians and that last year, nearly 10,000 hectares of olive groves remained unharvested. The Humanitarian Coordinator has allocated $750,000 from the Humanitarian Fund to support olive farmers this year, saying they must have unimpeded and safe access to their groves,' he added. On Wednesday, 9 October, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, together with humanitarian and development partners, led a field visit to Kifl Haris, located in the Salfit governorate, with diplomats from eight member states to hear first-hand from Palestinian farmers about their challenges in accessing farmlands, especially during the olive harvest season. This advocacy initiative was part of the Humanitarian Country Team's (HCT) coordinated campaign around the season, where the ability of farmers to harvest is compromised, mainly due to Israeli-imposed access restrictions, and attacks by Israeli settlers and Israeli forces. Source: Palestine news & Information Agency - WAFA