Analysis / No decisions taken, nothing said

Not one of the treasury officials present dared to tell the prime minister the truth, and neither, of course, did Silvan Shalom. They did not mention the real reason for the economy's nosedive. There was no talk of the connection between the stalled peace process and the economic situation. There was no hint that continued war in the territories and terror attacks inside Israel would drive the economy to unimaginable depths.

No one dared to tell Sharon that if there is no diplomatic horizon, no renewal of talks with the Palestinians and no economic plan, no one would be able to prevent the continued lack of activity, the drop in investments, the freefall in tax revenue and the vicious circle of shrinkage, weakening and deterioration.
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Nothing Left to Feast On

Donor fatigue and the uncertainty surrounding Iraq's future has lead western governments to turn their backs on the UN Palestinian refugee agency's (UNRWA) appeal for funds, necessary for the survival of about one third of the Palestinian population.

UNRWA has pleaded for $94 million to feed 1.1 million people in the occupied territories and replenish its emergency fund, but has received only one commitment, of $1.5 million, from Switzerland. Palestinians are reaching new depths of poverty, particularly the people of Gaza who are trapped behind electrified fences and heavy military patrols, making Gaza one of the most densely populated war zones on the globe.

UNRWA says the warehouses will be empty within weeks. Its commissioner general, Peter Hansen, said: "If we don't get money coming in soon we will have a rupture in the food distribution which will be very serious, as we already have malnutrition levels of 22% among children, and that is bound to rise if food aid stops." The children's agency, UNICEF, says child malnutrition is comparable to Congo and Zimbabwe.
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