Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza – A call to action “This is in our view a humanitarian crisis, it’s very hard for me to see any other way you could describe it, given the conditions in which the population are living. It’s not only a humanitarian crisis, it’s one which is worsening day by day as the violence continues, which is why it’s so important that that violence should stop.” – Mr. Holmes, UN

Gaza Strip is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea. 41 km (25 mi) long, between 6 and 12 km (4–7.5 mi) wide, with a total area of 360 sq km (139 sq mi). Population 1.4 million (July 2007 est.) of whom almost 840,000 children and 1 million are UN- registered refugees. Borders Egypt on the south-west and Israel on the north and east. Currently governed by Hamas. Israel occupies and controls Gaza's airspace, territorial waters, offshore maritime access and as well as its side of the Gaza-Israel border. – “Oslo Accords”

More than 660 people have died (as of 01/06/2009) More than 100 children have died More than 40 women have died More than 3000 wounded These numbers are increasing as we talking here… Innocent people are being killed every second. On 1/6/2009 a UN school providing shelter to 350 people was bombed killing 43 and injuring 100. Civilians who wish to flee Gaza are not being allowed to do so. Which like many other acts is against the international law. Destruction of places of worship. More than 14 mosques have been destroyed.

7 of 12 power lines have been damaged 75% of Gazan electricity cut off Gaza City, including Shifa hospital, entirely without electricity Over half a million residents cut off from water supply Sewage spilling into streets, risk of more flooding No fuel permitted into Gaza since start of military operation Destruction of buildings and resultant casualties The lack of cash affects UNRWA programs Wheat shortage in Gaza Gaza fuel depletion and electricity outages

According to Dr. Mo'oawiah Hassunin, hospitals in Gaza are operating without any medical supplies whatsoever, while three of the main hospitals have been badly damaged. The ambulance services are now operating at 50 percent capacity due to a lack of medical and personnel resources. The entire area is now being serviced by five ambulances and three fire brigades. Routine blackouts disrupt every aspect of life for everyone. Hospitals are struggling to power life-saving machinery and it is ever more difficult to maintain laundry and other essential services. The referral of patients to Israeli hospitals suspended by the PA in Ramallah 8% of the wells are now only functioning at reduced capacity and water supply is only available for a few hours every few days WFP has only been able to distribute food to around 50,000 people – out of a normal caseload of some 265,000 – since the violence began.

Background

Facts Gaza Strip is suffering since mid June 2007 from a tight Israeli closure and collective punishment, which has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe. According to the terms of the 1947 United Nations partition plan, the Gaza area was to become part of a new Arab state. Following the dissolution of the British mandate of Palestine and Civil War in Palestine, Israel declared its independence in May The Egyptian army invaded the area from the south, starting the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The Gaza Strip as it is known today was the product of the subsequent 1949 Armistice Agreements between Egypt and Israel, often referred to as the Green Line. Egypt occupied the Strip from 1949 until Israel occupied the Gaza Strip again in June 1967 during the Six- Day War. The military occupation lasted for 27 years, until 1994.

More facts… The closure is so tight and the siege is so harsh that even basic essential humanitarian needs of food, medicine, and clean water are lacking. Even now when there are people dying every minute. Unemployment: 35.4 % Number of Palestinians employed in Israel: 0 Two-thirds of households live below the poverty line, in fact they are living in deep poverty.

More facts… Nearly 95% of Gaza’s industries where shutdown by mid June The import and export restrictions severely impacted the industries in Gaza.

More facts… While Gaza used to be a Palestinian economic center, this changed significantly during the second Intifada when vast plots of Gazan citrus groves were bulldozed by the Israeli military. Gaza’s Economy, Already Fragile, May Collapse Unless Crossings Are Reopened, U.N. Reports. The World Bank identifies Israeli closures, roadblocks and curfews as the main cause of economic disruption. Karen AbuZayd, commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which deals with Palestinian refugees, said in an interview, “Without Karni the Gaza economy will collapse unless it is opened for exports and not just for imports, so we don’t punish this whole people.” (Source : NY Times, July 19,2007)

Quotes “This is entirely a man-made crisis. Desperately needed supplies are languishing in aid agencies’ warehouses a few kilometers away, even though they’re ready to be dispatched. The only obstacle is a gate that is kept locked by the Israeli army. There is no acceptable reason to deny passage to essential humanitarian aid and necessities” “So long as the Israeli authorities and armed forces control Gaza’s land borders, airspace and territorial waters, they have responsibilities under international law to ensure the welfare of Gaza’s civilian population. At present, Israel is not fulfilling its responsibilities” - Donatella Rovera, Amnesty international website “The mission is to break the Israeli siege, an absolutely illegal siege which has plunged a million and a half Palestinians into wretched conditions: imprisoned in their own homes, exposed to extreme military violence, deprived of the basic necessities of life, stripped of their most fundamental human rights and dignity. The siege violates the most fundamental principle of international law: the inadmissibility of harming civilian populations… I cannot stand idly aside… To do so would violate my commitment to human rights”. - Prof Jeff Halper, Israeli peace activist

Help stop the war! Help save innocent lives! Help bring peace!