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

FROM THE FIELD

Gaza blockade 2 years on - statement by UN, World Vision & partners
19 Jun 2009 11:30:56 GMT
 Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe/ Central Asia office
wvmeero logo
Boys play in a wrecked car in Gaza - there are few safe places to play and import restrictions mean new playgrounds can't be built. Photo by World Vision staff.
Previous | Next
Boys play in a wrecked car in Gaza - there are few safe places to play and import restrictions mean new playgrounds can't be built. Photo by World Vision staff.
World Vision MEERO, http://meero.worldvision.org

Background

•  Children

•  Israeli-Palestinian conflict

MORE >>
We, United Nations and non-governmental humanitarian organisations, express deepening concern over Israel's continued blockade of the Gaza Strip which has now been in force for two years.

These indiscriminate sanctions are affecting the entire 1.5 million population of Gaza, and ordinary women, children and the elderly are the first victims.

The amount of goods allowed into Gaza under the blockade is one quarter of the pre blockade flow. Eight out of every ten truckloads contains food but even that is restricted to a mere 18 food items. Seedlings and calves are not allowed so Gaza's farmers cannot make up the nutritional shortfall. Even clothes and shoes, toys and school books are routinely prohibited.

Furthermore the suffocation of Gaza's economy has led to unprecedented unemployment and poverty rates and almost total aid dependency. While Gazans are being kept alive through humanitarian aid, ordinary civilians have lost all quality of life as they fight to survive.

The consequences of Israel's recent military operation remain widespread as early recovery materials have been prevented from entering Gaza. Thousands of people are living with holes in their walls, broken windows and no running water.

We call for free and uninhibited access for all humanitarian assistance in accordance with the international agreements and in accordance with universally recognised international human rights and humanitarian law standards. We also call for a return to normalized trade to enable the poverty and unemployment rates to decrease.

The blockade of the Gaza Strip is creating an atmosphere of deprivation in Gaza that can only deepen the sense of hopelessness and despair among people. The people of Gaza need to be shown an alternative of hope and dignity. Allowing human development and prosperity to take hold is an essential first step towards the establishment of lasting peace.


Spokesperson:

Christopher Gunness
UNRWA Spokesperson
Orange: +972-(0)54-240-2659
Jawwal:+972(0)588-942-8034
Office: +972(0)2-589-0267
c.gunness@unrwa.org

Signed By:

Action Against Hunger
Acted
Acsur-Las Segovias
American Friends of UNRWA
American Near East Refugee Aid
Asamblea de Cooperacion Por la Paz
Austcare
Biladi
CARE International West Bank and Gaza.
Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
DanChurchAid
Defense for Children International
Enfants du Monde-Droits de l'Homme
International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy - Canada
Japan International Volunteer Centre
Life Source
Medecins du Monde France
Medecins du Monde Spain
Medecins du Monde Switzerland
Medical Aid for Palestinians
Movement for Peace
Mujeres por la Paz y Acción Solidaria de Palestina
Norwegian People's Aid
Norwegian Refugee Council
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Oxfam International
Paz Ahora
Peace and Solidarity Haydée Santamaría, Cultural Asociation
Premiere Urgence
Relief International
Spanish Committee of UNHCR
Spanish Committee of UNRWA
Swedish Organization for Individual Relief
Terre des Hommes Italy
United Nations Development Fund for Women
United Nations Relief and Works Agency
War Child Holland
World Vision International


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

Email this article       Send comments

Topics

•  Children

•  Women

MORE >>

Emergencies

•  Israeli-Palestinian conflict

MORE >>

Members

•  World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe/ Central Asia office

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  Gaza blockade 2 years on - statement by UN, World Vision & partners
World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe/ Central Asia

•  We fear any man in a soldier's uniform, say Congo's women
World Vision - UK

•  Jordan: Water crisis looms, urgent measures needed reveals study
World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe/ Central Asia

•  As 'Hungry Season' Approaches, Mercy Corps Launches Campaign on Women and Hunger
Mercy Corps

•  Breaking the Silence in Gaza
ANERA - USA

MORE >>

Latest news

•  INTERVIEW-SAfrica rapes linked to macho culture-study author

•  Mubarak says time is right for Arab-Israeli peace

•  UN: End Rape in War

•  Thailand: Insurgents Target Teachers in South

•  SOUTH AFRICA: One in four men rape

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
Children Women
Statistics graphs
Human development index ranking (2005)
Chart for Human development index ranking
View more stats >>

Related articles

Breaking stories
 INTERVIEW-SAfrica rapes linked to macho culture-study author (1 minute ago)

Mubarak says time is right for Arab-Israeli peace (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 UNICEF protests at "sabotage" of aid work in Somalia (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Gaza blockade 2 years on - statement by UN, World Vision & partners (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Right... a medical organisation! (1 minute ago)

Maps
 Satellite-Based Gaza Strip Damage Assessment Overview (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-19T074950Z_01_AAL101_RTRIDSP_2_PAKISTAN-VIOLENCE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AAL101.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-18T191124Z_01_KAB08_RTRIDSP_2_AFGHANISTAN-PARK_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/KAB08.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-18T095910Z_01_JER05_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER05.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-18T092843Z_01_JER04_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER04.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-18T092616Z_01_JER03_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER03.htm

Internally displaced women with children, who fled a military offensive in the Swat valley region, walk the grounds of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Jalozai camp, about 140 ...


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

Last updated:Fri Jun 19 12:15:39 2009