Medieval siege of 1.4 million souls in Gaza

Drafted for the Gaza Community Mental Health Program by Skip Schiel,
NOT AN OFFICIAL GCMHP STATEMENT, May 29, 2006

Gaza Community Mental Health Program

A HUMAN CRISIS IS GROWING RAPIDLY

It might not be generally known that a humanitarian crisis is building rapidly in Gaza. Because taxes that are due to the Palestinian government are being withheld by Israel and financial support by the EU (European Union)   has ceased, there is no money to pay public servants, including health workers. Most have not been paid for two months, and this in a place where over fifty percent of people live below the poverty line. Drugs are running out. Without anesthetic agents, for instance, it is proposed the main public hospital in Gaza City, the Shifa, be closed.

Little or no material is being allowed through the commercial checkpoint of Karnai at the eastern border with Israel.

FUNDING CUTS PUNISH THE VICTIM

Many international parties decided to stop their financial aid to the Palestinian people following the Palestinian Legislative Elections that took place on 26 of January 2006 and was described as the most democratic and transparent in the region. This coincided with Israeli escalations against Palestinian civilians including intensive artillery shelling, assassinations, massive detentions, and strict closures. As a result, the economic, social and health conditions in the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) has deteriorated to an unprecedented and alarming level, warning of a dangerous humanitarian catastrophe.

Instead of demanding that the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) abide by international law and stop its crimes against Palestinians civilians, regrettably, the international community is punishing the victims by withdrawing funding from the government. The decisions to halt financial aid to the PNA (Palestinian National Authority) are a form of collective punishment.

INTENSIFIED ISRAELI AGGRESSION

A medieval element has been superimposed on this economic and physical siege. Artillery pieces have been firing shells into "open ground" for the last two months, and this into one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The ostensible purpose is to quell the firing of the primitive Qassam rockets, which have killed eleven Israeli subjects in the last two years. It is reported that over six thousand have been fired. Life and limbs have been lost. The children are terrified and precious homes are being damaged or destroyed.

None of these actions are justified in international law. Indeed the opposite obtains. The EU and other nations are complicit by their involvement, or at least by their silence.

We ask for humanity, reason and the law to prevail--immediately.

EFFECTS ON HEALTH

The consequent effects on Palestinian health and the health system are dire. For instance, tertiary services are provided in only 2 MoH (Ministry of Health) hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza. In 2005, 19,737 patients were referred for treatment outside of the MoH, at a cost of US$ 39 million. With the withdrawal of funding , these services are not available and patients will suffer greatly; many will die needlessly.

Another consequence affects cancer patients. Some patients have not received chemotherapy for over a month. They are dying now because they lack the requisite medicines. Children also are suffering because treatable diseases are going untreated for lack of resources. According to Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-I), at least four patients have died as a direct result of this lack of funding, their dialysis treatments reduced from 3 to only 2 per week. Staff has been unpaid for 3 months, morale is low, some are leaving; structures and equipment are deteriorating. Even inexpensive blood sugar testing gear is no longer available. A walk thru any of the medical clinics or hospitals will quickly reveal the extent of this impending catastrophe. (See reports from WHO and PHR, links?)

INTERNAL CHAOS AS A RESULT OF THE SIEGE AND FUNDING CUTS

GCMHP warns of the state of lawlessness and serious deterioration of the security situation that is taking place in the Gaza Strip. Israel's attacks on Palestinians, targeting alleged militants while killing and injuring scores of innocent people, and the closures such as at Karni which prevented food supplies from entering the Strip, have exacerbated factional violence among Palestinians. On May 20, 2006 inter-factional violence killed 4 people in Gaza City, including 2 women and a child.

CALLS TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

The GCMHP, as an NGO working in the field of health services, therefore makes the following demands of the international community:

We call upon all international parties, particularly donor governments and NGOs, to immediately resume their funding to the Palestinian Authority to help Palestinian people enjoy their basic health and human rights. The current siege, Israeli aggression, followed by international aid sanctions are blatant violations of human rights, particularly the right to health, as set by international law.

We call upon the international community and human rights organizations to pressure Israel as an occupying state to stop its escalating aggression on Palestinians and to re-open borders allowing free movement of goods and medication. We also call upon them to pressure the Israeli government to return the Palestinian Authority's seized money, which constitutes about one third of the Palestinian budget, and has been collected to be turned over the PNA. Regaining their money, Palestinians will be more able to improve their medical and humanitarian conditions.

In addition we join with PHR-I to call upon Israel:

To end the policy of closure and curfew that is dismantling the different Palestinian civil services--particularly the health service.

To forward the tax revenue due to the PNA promptly.

To facilitate the work of international bodies and encourage them to continue to support and finance Palestinian civil infrastructures and systems.

To provide free medical services for the residents of the OPT in fields that are not available in the Palestinian system. If the system collapses, Israel must meet all civil needs.