GAZA WATER CRISIS PROMPTS UN CALL FOR IMMEDIATE OPENING OF CROSSINGS

The top United Nations humanitarian official in the occupied Palestinian territory today joined aid agencies in calling for the immediate opening of Gaza's crossings to allow the entry of spare parts and materials critical to restoring the area's water and sanitation services.

"The deterioration and breakdown of water and sanitation facilities in Gaza is compounding an already severe and protracted denial of human dignity in the Gaza Strip," Maxwell Gaylard said in a joint statement issued today with the NGO Association for International Development Agencies (AIDA).

"At the heart of this crisis is a steep decline in standards of living for the people of Gaza, characterized by erosion of livelihoods, destruction and degradation of basic infrastructure, and a marked downturn in the delivery and quality of vital services in health, water and sanitation," added Mr. Gaylard, the Deputy UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and UN Humanitarian Coordinator.

Israel's closure of Gaza's crossing points, imposed since June 2007, has meant that equipment and supplies needed for the construction, maintenance and operation of water and sanitation facilities have not been able to enter the area, leading to the deterioration of these services.

Currently, some 10,000 people do not have access to the water network, while another 60 per cent of Gaza's population of 1.5 million do not have continuous access to water.

In addition, some 50 to 80 million litres of untreated and partially treated waste-water have been discharged daily into the Mediterranean Sea since January 2008, due to damage to sewage treatment facilities, lack of treatment capacity because of postponed plant upgrade projects, and a critical shortage of fuel and electricity necessary to operate them.

Mr. Gaylard and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) called on the Israeli Government to take immediate steps to ensure the entry into Gaza of the necessary construction and repair materials to respond to the water and sanitation crisis.

"Without addressing both the immediate basic needs of the population and facilitating the longer-term development and management of the degraded water and sanitation sector, public health and the wider environment will remain at significant risk," said the Humanitarian Coordinator.

"Pollution does not recognise borders or barriers, and communities throughout the region are threatened by the deficiencies of Gaza's water and sanitation system," he added.
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UN, AID AGENCIES CALL FOR END TO ISRAEL’S TWO-YEAR BLOCKADE OF GAZA

A group of nearly 40 United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) today called for an end to Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has now been in force for two years and has left the population of 1.5 million almost totally dependent on international aid.

"We call for free and uninhibited access for all humanitarian assistance in accordance with the international agreements and in accordance with universally recognised international human rights and humanitarian law standards," they said in a joint statement issued in Jerusalem to mark the second anniversary of the blockade.

While the "indiscriminate" sanctions are affecting the entire population of Gaza, they said, women, children and the elderly are the first victims.

The group called for a return to normalized trade, stating that the "suffocation" of Gaza's economy has led to unprecedented unemployment and poverty rates and almost total aid dependency.

"While Gazans are being kept alive through humanitarian aid, ordinary civilians have lost all quality of life as they fight to survive," they said.

In addition, "the consequences of Israel's recent military operation remain widespread as early recovery materials have been prevented from entering Gaza. Thousands of people are living with holes in their walls, broken windows and no running water," stated the group.

Last week the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that the entry of essential goods and services, including materials for reconstruction, spare parts for water and sanitation projects, as well as industrial and agricultural materials remain either restricted or banned outright.

Maxwell Gaylard, the top UN humanitarian official in the occupied Palestinian territory, reported in May that the fighting from December 2008 to January 2009 had destroyed some 4,000 homes and damaged another 40,000. While donors have pledged billions of dollars for Gaza's reconstruction, work cannot begin because of the blockade.

The group warned that the ongoing blockade is creating "an atmosphere of deprivation in Gaza that can only deepen the sense of hopelessness and despair among people," and stated that allowing human development and prosperity to take hold is an essential first step towards the establishment of lasting peace.

Among those adding their voice to the statement issued today is the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the NGOs Oxfam International and CARE.
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UN VOICES CONCERN OVER RIFT PREVENTING PATIENTS LEAVING GAZA FOR TREATMENT

United Nations agencies operating in the Gaza Strip have expressed serious concern over the halting of patients leaving the area for specialised hospital treatment after Hamas took control of the health department tasked with making referrals abroad.

On 22 March, the Hamas de facto authorities in Gaza took over the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health Referral Abroad Department, which oversees the process by which local people receive approval to travel for medical care.

Since then the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health in the West Bank town of Ramallah has not approved or funded applications for treatment outside of Gaza, affecting many patients with serious and complicated conditions.

In addition, Israel and Egypt will not allow these patients to exit Gaza unless they have been approved by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.

According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), around 900 patients a month were being referred outside of Gaza for treatment at hospitals in Israel, East Jerusalem, Egypt, and Jordan in the first half of 2008.

"We are very worried about the situation," said Tony Laurance, acting Head of WHO in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

"We have already seen referrals affected, and patients will die if they do not receive the treatment they require," he added.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, together with WHO, has intervened to seek the urgent reversal of last week's decision, but have not received a positive response.

"It is not acceptable for essential patient care to be stopped because of an internal political dispute or unilateral steps," said Maxwell Gaylard, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator.

"We call for a rapid solution to be found among the parties concerned to enable referrals to resume and patients' rights to be protected and for Hamas to reverse their decision so that a way forward can be found," he added.
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