Gaza Crisis

The 1.5 million people living in Gaza are facing sever shortages of food, fuel, water, electricity and medical supplies.

 

The five crossings which link Gaza to the outside world have witnessed almost total closure since the Israeli imposed siege began on 12th June 2006. The siege has prevented all kinds of supplies from going in or out, and has made it impossible for thousands of people to go to work, to continue with their studies or to go abroad for treatment. Furthermore, Israel has put in place a fuel blockade, and on 20 January 2008 shut down Gaza’s only power plant, leaving the people of Gaza struggling to cope amid an escalating humanitarian crisis.

 

Food, water and sanitation
Basic foods such as rice, flour and cooking oil are in very short supply, and many bakeries have stopped operating as they have no flour or power. 80% of families in Gaza are now relying on humanitarian aid, compared to 63% in 2006.

 

Due to lack of nourishment, 64% of children in Gaza are now suffering from anaemia, and 22% of children have a deficiency in vitamin A.
Furthermore, the bad economic situation has caused many school children to suffer from weight loss, bad attendance, lack of concentration, lethargy, tiredness and bad eye sight.

 

Much of Gaza’s water is deep beneath the surface, and without fuel or electricity for generators, this water cannot be pumped. Water wells cannot function and water is cut off. Between 25-30% of Gaza’s population does not receive running water in the homes.

 

Sewage pumping stations cannot pump sewage to treatment plants, and as a result about 30-40 million litres of untreated sewage goes into the sea everyday.

 

The Health sector
The health sector in Gaza is at its worst and among the most badly affected. Due to power cuts lasting 8-10 hours a day and a 60-70% shortage in the diesel required for power generators, hospitals and Medical clinics are failing to provide their usual services. Essential equipment such as incubators, haemodialysis machines and cardiac equipment are unable to run properly, cancer and intensive care patients are deprived of their treatment, and stored blood and vaccines are constantly getting spoilt. Furthermore, there is a severe shortage in spare parts for medical equipment which Israel prevents from entry on the pretext that they are not humanitarian items.

1,500 people are waiting to be given permission to leave Gaza for medical treatment. The number of patients who are given permits to leave has decreased dramatically in the past year, and many of those who are granted permits are often denied access at the crossing.

 

Poverty, unemployment and economic collapse
Poverty and unemployment have escalated as a result of the siege on Gaza. The level of unemployment has risen to 80%, and poverty to 90%, with the vast majority of people now depending on humanitarian aid for survival.

 

The people of Gaza cannot access inputs for production and they cannot export what they produce. This has resulted in the strangulation and collapse of Gaza’s economy. Some of the facts on the ground include the following:

• The siege has resulted in the closure of 3,900 factories and businesses, resulting in 140,000 people being made redundant.
• Since the closure of the crossings, food factories in Gaza are producing only 30% of what they used to produce before the siege, with many farmers in Gaza being crippled by Israel’s continued border closures.
• Repeated Israeli incursions in northern Gaza have destroyed many orchards, fields, and polytunnels, and 40 thousand workers in Gaza will lose there job due to the lack of agricultural supplies such as pesticides and plastic sheeting.
• Around 600 textile factories have closed, and the total loss to the textile industry is estimated at 20 million dollars.
• All private building and development projects, including infrastructure projects, have ceased as a result of a ban on imported raw materials and a block on exports, costing an estimated 18 million dollars.