GAZA, April 15, 2007, (WAFA) - Palestinian Centre for Public Opinion (PCPO) said Sunday that financial boycott pushes Palestinians into poverty and essential services to meltdown

The survey commissioned by International Development Agency, Oxfam, and conducted by PCPO, highlighted how the suspension of western aid and Israel's refusal to transfer money owed to the Palestinian Authority (PA) has led to grave humanitarian consequences for Palestinians.

The survey found that more than four out of five of the 677 families interviewed have seen a drop in their income following the year long boycott of the Palestinian Authority. Half of all the families reported losing more than half their income.

The PCPO also interviewed 67 senior managers running schools, hospitals and water services across the West Bank and Gaza. Nine out of ten managers said that services had been negatively affected by this boycott. Half of the essential service managers reported that they have cut their vital services by 50 per cent or more because of insufficient funding.

Oxfam International said that "International aid should be provided impartially on the basis of need, not as a political tool to change the policies of a government."

Oxfam International Executive Director, Jeremy Hobbs, revealed that "Oxfam opposes violence against civilians and supports Israel's right to exist alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state."

But suspending aid - and withholding tax revenue in violation of international agreements - is not an ethical or effective way to achieve these outcomes. And in this case, it hasn't worked. Instead, parents have been driven into debt, children taken out of classrooms and whole families deprived of access to medicine and healthcare," added Hobbs.

The best efforts of the European Union to continue helping Palestinians civilians by making direct payments to many government workers and welfare recipients, has failed to prevent spiraling poverty which has increased by 30 per cent in 2006 according to the UN.

"Europe's foreign ministers should not miss the opportunity of their forthcoming meeting in Brussels to restore the faith of Palestinians in the European Union," Hobbs added.

Hobbs revealed that "Despite welcoming the National Unity Government, the European Union has failed to restore aid payments. With Palestinian institutions collapsing and insecurity growing, the resumption of international aid to the Palestinian Authority is a necessary step to preventing further suffering and securing a just and lasting settlement on the basis of international law."

H.M (21:00 P)-(18:00 GMT)