NEWS RELEASE
14 January 2009
New Zealand Red Cross To Contribute $75,000 To Gaza Appeal

New Zealand Red Cross will contribute $75,000 to the International Red Cross’ Israel, The Occupied Autonomous Territories emergency appeal 2009. The money will be used to support the vital work Red Cross is doing in and around Gaza, providing emergency assistance to thousands of people affected by armed conflict, including providing water, food, medical equipment and emergency shelter.

The offensive has left more than 900 Palestinians dead, close to 4,000 wounded and thousands displaced. The fighting has killed 13 Israelis. People continue to flee from areas hit by fierce bombing and fighting. In southern Israel, rockets launched from Gaza continue to injure civilians.

New Zealand Red Cross humanitarian aid worker Marianne Whittington, a nurse who has been based in Gaza since June 2008, has reported that people are very afraid. Marianne, who is currently based in the International Committee of the Red Cross’ (ICRC) residence in Gaza with her fourteen international colleagues, says that hospitals are overwhelmed.

“The scale of suffering is terrible and distressing. The hospitals are struggling to cope with the sheer number of wounded and the complexity of the injuries that keep coming in. Our medical team working in the main Gaza hospital say the injuries they are seeing are dreadful. They say they desperately need medical supplies and parts to keep the generators working.”

“We are working to assess the situation, which is very serious. Due to the insecurity, it’s difficult for us to move around and to get a full picture of the scale of the humanitarian impact of the hostilities on civilians. What’s clear is that those involved in the hostilities have an obligation to comply with international humanitarian law. The law requires that medical facilities, transports and personnel must be respected and protected. In particular, all precautions must be taken to ensure that the wounded have access to medical facilities and care.”

New Zealand Red Cross operations staff continue to take part in global Red Cross coordination teleconferences in which the ICRC, the Palestinian Red Crescent, Magen David Adom (Israel’s National Society of the Red Cross and Red Crescent), the Egyptian Red Crescent and other national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies discuss the humanitarian aspects and impacts of the situation in Gaza and Israel.

At the request of the ICRC, New Zealand Red Cross has placed additional humanitarian aid workers, specialising in health, on stand-by. New Zealand Red Cross has been deploying health specialist aid workers to Gaza for the past two years.

Anyone wishing to donate to the International Red Cross’ Israel, The Occupied Autonomous Territories emergency appeal 2009 can do so by:

• Making a secure online donation at www.redcross.org.nz

• Calling 0900 31 100 to make an automatic $20 donation

• Sending cheques to National Fundraising, Red Cross House, P O Box 12-140, Thorndon, Wellington, 6144

• Making a donation at any New Zealand Red Cross shop or office throughout the country

100 percent of all public donations will go directly to the International Red Cross’ Israel, The Occupied Autonomous Territories emergency appeal 2009 and will be used to provide emergency assistance to the thousands of vulnerable people in need of help.

The International Red Cross continue to undertake vital tasks within Gaza on a daily basis including assisting local doctors treat hundreds of patients in Shifa Hospital, conducting assessments and repairs on water treatment plants when staff safety can be assured, assisting Palestinian engineers and technicians repair electricity lines, and escorting trucks transporting much needed medical equipment.

The ICRC continue to support the Palestine Red Crescent Society and Magen David Adom who both continue their work helping those in need.

During a recent visit to the Gaza Strip, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, urged the fighting parties to spare civilians and let humanitarian workers do their work. "Both parties must ensure that all victims are cared for rapidly, at all times of day. In particular, the wounded must be evacuated and receive treatment," said Mr Kellenberger. "Injured people cannot wait for days, or even for hours, before being treated. The work of medical personnel must be respected – and this is not negotiable."

The visit comes at a time of intensified fighting and deepening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Civilians trapped in combat zones are particularly affected. Hospitals are being overwhelmed by a steady influx of casualties, including more and more women and children.

Mr Kellenberger insisted that the ICRC will continue to do everything it can to help medical personnel and Palestine Red Crescent Society aid workers carry out their duties.

Today Mr Kellenberger will visit Sderot in southern Israel, where civilians are enduring rocket attacks from Gaza, and meet with Israel's Magen David Adom rescue teams.

He will also hold talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, and President Mahmud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority.

ENDS

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