Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

FROM THE FIELD

Gaza crisis: Irish Red Cross condemns hospital attack
16 Jan 2009 12:13:44 GMT
 Source: Irish Red Cross - Ireland (Crois Dhearg na hÉireann)
irishredcr logo
Gaza, Al Shifa
Previous | Next
Gaza, Al Shifa
Irish Redcross

Background

•  Israeli-Palestinian conflict

MORE >>
Reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross which is supporting the work of local Red Crescent medical staff and aid workers, say the Al-Quds hospital in Gaza City was hit by explosions and fire broke out, putting at risk the lives of around 100 patients and the medical staff caring for them.

Condemning the fact that Red Crescent hospitals and warehouses in Gaza have been so severely damaged and its paramedics and other staff prevented from carrying out their life-saving work, Noel Wardick, Head of the International Dept of the Irish Red Cross said: "the situation is completely and utterly unacceptable based on every known standard of international humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles and values."

Gaza, Al Shifa' Hospital. Visit of ICRC President, Jakob Kellenberger (left) pictured..
© ICRC

Earlier the President of the ICRC, Jakob Kellenberger described is as “unacceptable that wounded people receiving treatment in hospitals are put at risk.” Mr Kellenberger has just completed a three-day visit to the area that included a stop at Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

Mr Kellenberger met with Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni,and insisted once again that the rules of international humanitarian law oblige the parties to a conflict to spare civilians and to protect medical personnel and medical facilities at all times. He requested systematic access to all parts of Gaza for humanitarian assistance, especially medical assistance.

Reports from Palestine Red Crescent Society doctors and staff say that they and hundreds of patients are sheltering on the ground floor of the building which caught fire. The hospital, which likes other hospitals in Gaza is struggling to cope with the high number of sick and wounded, is overcrowded and overstretched, according to Mr Kellenberger. The hospital’s pharmacy has also been damaged.

One of the two Palestine Red Crescent warehouses in Gaza was also shelled this morning and set ablaze. The warehouse was full of relief items. The ICRC arranged for the safe passage of fire brigade trucks to the warehouse and to the UNRWA compound, also hit this morning.

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Aoife Mac Eoin, National Communications Officer. Tel: 087 – 998 3788.

[1] The Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement represents 97 million volunteers in 187 national Red Cross or Red Crescent national bodies worldwide and includes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Email this article       Send comments

Topics

•  International Humanitarian Law

MORE >>

Emergencies

•  Israeli-Palestinian conflict

MORE >>

Members

•  Irish Red Cross - Ireland (Crois Dhearg na hÉireann)

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  Gaza crisis: Irish Red Cross condemns hospital attack
Red Cross - Ireland

•  Gaza: Destruction to medical facilities "unacceptable"
IFRC - Switzerland

•  Gaza: More than 200 lives lost since UN call for ceasefire
World Vision MEERO - Cyprus

•  Mercy Corps Partners With Reach Out to Asia to Assist Needy Gazan Families
Mercy Corps

•  Save the Children Staff Member Loses Family Members in Shelling of Gaza
Save the Children - International Alliance

MORE >>

Latest news

•  Hamas says will not accept Israel ceasefire demands

•  Top Olmert adviser joins truce talks in Cairo

•  Hamas says will not accept Israel ceasefire demands

•  In Brief: New book explores theory, practice of humanitarian interventions

•  Israel: Stop Shelling Crowded Gaza City

MORE >>

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

Briefings
Israeli-Palestinian conflict - [Who works where]

Topics
International Humanitarian Law
Statistics graphs
Human development index ranking (2005)
Chart for Human development index ranking
View more stats

Related articles

Breaking stories
 Hamas says will not accept Israel ceasefire demands (1 minute ago)

Top Olmert adviser joins truce talks in Cairo (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 MEDIAWATCH: Surprises in Sudan (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Gaza crisis: Irish Red Cross condemns hospital attack (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Gaza: Black smoke blocking the sun (1 minute ago)

Maps
 Damage Assessment for the Gaza Strip (As of 10 January 2009) (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-16T122812Z_01_JER208_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL-UN-UNILATERAL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER208.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-16T120855Z_01_JER14_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER14.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-16T115958Z_01_JER206_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL-UN-UNILATERAL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER206.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-16T115743Z_01_JER13_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER13.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-16T114526Z_01_JER12_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER12.htm

Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat (R) speaks to President Mahmoud Abbas during a joint news conference with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in the West Bank city of Ramallah January 16, ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Fri Jan 16 12:33:52 2009