Appeal
Occupied Palestinian Territories
Gaza Crisis - MEPL81 (Revision 1)
Appeal Target: US$ 5,427,915
Contributions/ pledges received: US$ 1,998,870
Balance requested: US$ 3,429,045
Geneva, 16 January 2009
The Gaza Strip is experiencing a devastating war with the attacks by the Israeli army on Gaza since 27 December 2008. The attacks were preceded by 18 months of blockade by Israel and ongoing rocket fire by Hamas militants on Israel. The war has caused up until today more than 1,100 dead and 5,000 injured amongst the Palestinian population with many civilian casualties - about 40% of which are now estimated to be children and women according the Gaza Ministry of Health. In addition there is widespread destruction of the civil, governmental and international infrastructure. Some 1.5 million people in Gaza - more than half of them children - are living in one of the world's most densely populated areas with no freedom of movement and no place to run or seek refuge from the conflict. With access virtually cut off since late June 2007, poverty, unemployment, basic supply shortages and desperation in Gaza are mounting.
The UN has warned that there are "critical gaps" in aid reaching Gaza and there is concern for a major humanitarian crisis with 1.5 million people suffering from acute shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies in addition to the ramifications of the daily air bombardments and street fighting. An UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) spokesperson reports that the idea that there was no humanitarian crisis in Gaza was absurd. On 12 January 2009, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported an increasing number of civilian casualties and a lack of basic food commodities. UN agencies and non-governmental organizations are cooperating together through the coordination mechanisms.
ACT members and implementing partner organizations have also been targets of bombardments, resulting in casualties and immense damage. On 5 January, three mobile health clinics, supported by DCA, were destroyed in an Israeli air strike. The three clinics were built inside small trucks and were functioning as mobile health facilities in Gaza. On 11 January, Israeli missiles struck an ACT-supported clinic in Shaja'ih in Gaza city, run by the DSPR. The clinic is completely destroyed with all its equipment and medical supplies.
While international efforts have been mounted to broker a truce, humanitarian access is limited and relief agencies are significantly struggling to gain access and transport humanitarian relief in a timeframe that is equal to the scope of the crisis.
ACT members, DSPR, IOCC, YMCA; NCA, and DCA organized in the ACT Palestine Forum, have been active to support the population in Gaza since the first attacks were launched. The ACT Palestine Forum has been able to delivery emergency relief materials including high energy biscuits, blankets and medicines on 12 January via the Kerne Shalom border crossing as part of a UN World Food Programme convoy.
This revised appeal takes into account the escalation of violence and includes immediate relief activities for the period of three months. During the crisis phase, members plan to act together to bring in materials including food supplements, medicines, medical supplies and equipment, cash for food and cash for work, and psychosocial assistance. The appeal will be extended for some of the members until the end of 2009, to continue the support to most vulnerable families by providing job opportunities, promoting income from agriculture, providing emergency relief, educational and medical supplies. In addition, DSPR proposes to reconstruct the clinic that was bombed. Some activities will be contingent on the future prospects of a ceasefire and increased stability within Gaza. To be noted that the appeal includes to limited extent also activities for the West Bank.
Coordination: In agreement with members of the forum, NCA has seconded a coordinator for a three month crisis period with the task to strengthen the coordination and communication pertaining to the appeal implementation and support the forum structure in relation to emergency planning.
Given the difficult access to the area and lacking specific assessments of the needs, this appeal revision is preliminary for the next few weeks and will be revised again on the basis of a thorough needs assessment. Please note that for this reason some of the activities and funding requirements are only preliminary.
MEMBER ACRONYMS:
DSPR: Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees, of the Middle East Council of Churches
IOCC: International Orthodox Christian Charities
YMCA: Young Men Christian Association, East Jerusalem
NCA: Norwegian Church Aid
DCA: DanChurchAid
Project Completion Date:
DSPR : 17 July 2008 - 31 December 2009
IOCC/YMCA: 17 July 2008 - 31 December 2009
NCA: 1 August 2008 - 31 July 2009
DCA: 7 January, 2009 -7 March, 2009.
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FOR THE FULL TEXT AND BUDGET OF THE APPEAL (PDF FILE), KINDLY VISIT THE ACT SITE. THANK YOU.
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Please kindly send your contributions to either of the following ACT bank accounts:
US dollar
Account Number - 240-432629.60A
IBAN No: CH46 0024 0240 4326 2960A
Euro
Euro Bank Account Number - 240-432629.50Z
IBAN No: CH84 0024 0240 4326 2950Z
Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together
UBS AG
8, rue du Rhône
P.O. Box 2600
1211 Geneva 4, SWITZERLAND
Swift address: UBSW CHZH12A
Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (jkg@act-intl.org) and the Programme Officer Michael Zschiegner (mzs@act-intl.org) of all pledges/ contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers.
We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for back-donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.
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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
A Palestinian Fatah supporter gestures behind a Palestinian flag during a rally in the West Bank city of Ramallah against Israel's offensive in Gaza and in support of President Mahmoud Abbas ...
