On the deteriorating health & humanitarian situation in Gaza

Press Release
Ministry of Health
Higher Committee for Ambulance and Emergency Services
Gaza
5 April 2012

Press Release from the Ministry of Health and the Higher Committee for Ambulance and Emergency Services on the deteriorating health and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip

Presented at a Press Conference at the sit-in in solidarity with patients at Al-Shifa Hospital.

Over the past 40 days, the health crisis resulting from the six-year Israeli siege has intensified. The Israeli Occupation prevents basic necessities passing into Gaza. The health sector has suffered a lot from this siege in many respects - severe shortage of medicines and medical equipment which severely hampers the work of health institutions in the Gaza Strip.

We have warned from the beginning that this siege will have disastrous effects on the lives of Palestinians, but the world has done nothing in response to this immoral crime, in which the occupation has violated the norms , values and humanitarian laws stated in Article (33) of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the breaching of which constitute collective punishment of civilians.

In spite of all attempts and efforts to cope with this painful situation, we still suffer a lot. In this particular case, the health sector lacks 186 types of medicines and 200 types of medical disposables, which threatens the lives of many patients who need treatment on an ongoing basis, such as those who suffer heart disease, renal failure and chronic diseases. Also, 36 ambulance and 15 health service cars are not running as a result of the fuel shortage, which threatens the provision of ambulance services and the transfer of patients to hospitals, especially during military invasions .

In addition, about 100 premature infants face death if their life-saving devices stop working, as happened to Nissan Mashharawi, who died as a result. The families of patients in the intensive care units are experiencing considerable psychological stress watching their loved ones on the point of dying due to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the health sector.

Faced with these painful realities experienced by the health sector, which threaten to reduce the continuity and effectiveness of its services, we state the following:

1. The Israeli occupation and all the participants in the siege of the Gaza are responsible for the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

2. We call on all human and international institutions, especially WHO and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to intervene urgently to end this human suffering, and to frankly declare their position on the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip.

3. We call on all Palestinian factions to unify their efforts, and to exempt the health sector from any political bickering .

4. We demand the Arab League to take clear positions regarding the humanitarian situation in, and the siege of, the Gaza Strip, and invite them to exert more pressure towards ending the unjust siege of the Gaza Strip

ENDS

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