Gaza: Response continues despite restricted access
NEWS STORY: Steve Weaver UPDATED: March 20, 2009
JERUSALEM — As ongoing violent exchanges continue between Israeli forces and militants inside Gaza despite the ceasefire, members of ACT International continue to respond to the significant needs inside the cut-off and conflict-torn territory.
“In the face of significant access challenges in Gaza, ACT members have been working with the people since the early days of the crisis and continue to do so,” says John Nduna, director of ACT International, who was recently in the region.
“And we cannot forget that a significant humanitarian crisis had already been unfolding from the 18-month blockade of Gaza prior to this assault,“ Mr Nduna stresses. “The compounding human, economic, and infrastructure costs from the 22-day assault have been immense.”
From the onset and in the aftermath of the conflict, ACT members have provided food, clean water, household items and medical care to tens of thousands of people in need of humanitarian assistance. And as the situation in Gaza has become relatively calmer, ACT members have begun to address the immense psychosocial needs of the affected population.
Medical support increases
While hospitals and clinics were stretched far beyond their capacity during the conflict –
and also in the aftermath – ACT members have provided support and distributed much-needed medical supplies and fuel.
Two clinics supported by ACT restarted operations following the ceasefire and have been providing prenatal, postnatal, dental and infant care to about 1,500 people per week. In addition, they have been distributing enriched milk, bottled water and protein biscuits to more than 500 malnourished and anemic children under the age of five per week.
At a third clinic, that was destroyed in a bombing, some services have been restarted in a facility donated by the community in Shija’ia. Clinic staff have purchased new medical equipment and while some activities have had to be put on hold, staff have supported more than 7,000 at-risk children in the surrounding community with milk and bottled water.
Additionally, emergency material resources valued at over US $800,000 are currently en route to Gaza. The support includes medical equipment and supplies, medicines, hygiene kits, baby kits and blankets.
There are also indications that the psychological impact from the conflict is tremendous, especially on children. ACT members are giving a high priority to psychosocial care in addition to their other response activities, and a psychosocial expert has started to support a team of ACT member staff in Gaza addressing the emotional needs of the population.
Support for the vulnerable
Since early January, ACT has supported more than 30,000 people through the distribution of locally-purchased nutritional supplements, food and non-food items. Those assisted include vulnerable mothers, children and those displaced throughout Gaza. An additional supply of blankets and hygiene materials valued at US $19,000 were also distributed.
“During the conflict itself in January, we provided more than 15,000 displaced people with food,” said Omar Almajdalawi, a program officer in Gaza for ACT member DanChurchAid. “And we have managed to continue this programme into this month as well.”
Several ACT-supported vocational training centers restarted activities January 18 and have provided 198 students a much needed return to some semblance of normalcy following the violence.
Some of the most-needed assistance has been cash grants to help families re-establish their lives and repair their homes in the aftermath of the conflict. More than 2,500 families have been provided with emergency cash assistance and more than 70 people have also been provided with temporary jobs during this time, many of them within the clinics and vocational training centers.
Blockade main impediment to recovery
While the overall situation in Gaza remains dire, one the immediate necessities is unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance at the border crossings. For which, ACT members have repeatedly called for dramatic improvement by the Israelis.
With the continued blockade, now in its twenty-first month, current levels of supplies entering Gaza are only 25 percent of pre-blockade levels. ACT members report that jam, biscuits and tomato paste were on the most recent list of items banned by Israel. Nor are essential reconstruction items allowed entry, reports Dr. Suhaila Tarazi, director of Al Ahli Hospital. "Two months after the ceasefire we have not been able to replace hospital windows damaged in the assault due to lack of supplies from the ongoing blockade."
Access for humanitarian staff also continues to be restricted and unpredictable, says Constantine Dabbagh, director of the Palestinian refugee service department in Gaza of the Middle East Council of Churches, a member of ACT.
“It is very important for people to come to Gaza – not only to see for themselves what has happened, but also to support us towards the achievement of a just peace and end to the occupation, and to show their solidarity,” says Mr Dabbagh. “It is unacceptable for people to be denied entry to and exit from Gaza.”
"Of particular concern for us", says Dirk Lackovic'-van Gorp of ACT member International Orthodox Christian Charities, "is the denied entry to Gaza of our Palestinian staff based in Jerusalem and the West Bank."
At the height of the latest conflict approximately 200,000 people were displaced from their homes, reports the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights. According to the UN, before the recent assault 80 percent of Gazans were dependent on food aid and direct assistance, a figure that has now increased to close to 90 percent.
During the conflict, more than 1,300 people were killed with more than 5,000 injured, of which 30 percent were children. Palestinian authorities estimate that 4,100 housing units were destroyed and 17,000 damaged, at a cost of about US $280 million.
“We greatly appreciate the support of international partners in our efforts to assist the people of Gaza,” says Liv Steimoggen, an ACT representative in Jerusalem. “However, the work is only beginning and we absolutely will need additional support in the weeks and months ahead.”
