Economic
Siege Of Gaza Leading
To Humanitarian Crisis
By Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights
03 July, 2007
PCHR
Palestinian
Centre for Human Rights( PCHR) is gravely concerned for the tightened
siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) through
the closure of all border crossings, including the Rafah International
Crossing Point on the Egyptian border. PCHR warns of the consequences
of the policy of collective punishment practiced against the Palestinian
civilian population. PCHR calls upon all states, particularly the High
Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, United
Nations agencies and all international humanitarian organizations to
immediately take steps to pressurize IOF to allow the normal flow of
basic supplies, including foodstuffs and medical supplies, into the
Gaza Strip to avoid an imminent crisis that would threaten 1.5 million
Palestinian civilians living in the Gaza Strip, 73 percent of whom live
below the poverty line.
PCHR has closely observed
the deteriorating economic and social conditions resulting from the
total siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and threats to maintain it for
a long period. IOF have effectively denied the free passage of foodstuffs,
medical supplies and basic needs into the Gaza Strip. According to information
available to PCHR, the humanitarian conditions had been already disastrous
before tightening the siege by IOF following Hamas' takeover of the
Gaza Strip on 15 June 2007. IOF have closed all border crossings that
had been partially operated and have denied the free passage of fuels,
foodstuffs and medicines. In addition, they have also prohibited the
travel of Palestinian civilians out of the Gaza Strip, including patients
who need medical treatment abroad. The unprecedented stranglehold of
the Gaza Strip has doubled the suffering of the Palestinian civilian
population leading to a disastrous situation. Furthermore, the health
sector has started to suffer from a crisis due to the shortages of medical
supplies necessary for the operation of hospitals and medical centers
in the Gaza Strip with the closure of all border crossings between the
Gaza Strip and both Israel and Egypt.
IOF have completely closed
Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border since 15 June
2007. The crossing point was partially operated on Monday, 18 June 2007,
to allow 160 Palestinian travelers who were held at al-'Areesh Airport
for the lack of visas, to travel back to the Gaza Strip. At least 6,000
Palestinians have been blocked at the Egyptian side of the crossing
point waiting to be allowed to travel back to the Gaza Strip. Some of
these Palestinians had traveled abroad through the border crossing to
receive medical treatment, study, work or visit relatives. Others include
families that had arrived in Egypt on their way to the Gaza Strip to
spend their summer vacations with relatives, and dozens of patients
who had underwent surgeries and need special medical care that is lacked
at the crossing point, so they have been forced to stay in nearby Egyptian
towns. Many of these Palestinians have run out of money. Thousands of
Palestinian civilians living in the Gaza Strip, including at least 400
patients who need advanced medical treatment, have not been able to
travel abroad.
IOF have closed Karni commercial
crossing since 15 June 2007. Before this latest closure, restrictions
on the movement of goods have been relatively eased. IOF have denied
the flow of goods into the Gaza Strip. If IOF continue to close the
crossing, the Gaza Strip will soon suffer from a humanitarian crisis
as the storages of basic foodstuffs will run out soon. Such crisis will
severely impact at least 73 percent of the population who live below
the poverty line. Due to the shortage of wheat, three mills have stopped
operation and the others would soon stop if their storages of wheat
ran out. It is worth noting that the Gaza Strip needs at least 600 tons
of wheat daily.
Furthermore, IOF have closed
Sofa crossing, which is designed for the entry of construction raw materials,
since 15 June 2007. The crossing was partially operated on 25 and 26
June 2007 to allow the entry of 84 trucks loaded with goods for local
traders, and 290 tons of flour for World Food Program (WFP). As a result
of the closure of the crossing, most construction projects have been
halted.
Like other border crossings,
IOF have closed Kerem Shalom since 15 June 2007. The crossing was partially
operated from 19 to 24 June 2007 to allow the entry of two containers
of medicines for the ICRC and Ministry of Health; 150 tons of rice,
130 tons of oil and 260 tons of foodstuffs for WFP; 600 tons of food
aid provided by Jordan; 10 containers of medicines provided by USAID;
and 14 container of dairy products, four containers of frozen meat;
and 70 tons and four containers of animal feeds for local traders.
IOF have completely closed
Erez crossing since 15 June 2007. They have prevented workers of international
and local organizations, patients and approximately 300 traders, who
had been permitted to travel through the crossing before the closure,
from passing through the crossing. IOF have also cancelled the family
visitation program of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, which
is coordinated with the ICRC. On 19 June 2007, IOF started to allow
a limited number of patients to travel to Israeli hospitals through
the crossing. Since that time, IOF have allowed 78 patients to travel
through the crossing following coordination through the ICRC.
IOF closed Nahal Oz crossing,
which is designed for the entry of fuels into the Gaza Strip. The crossing
was reopened on the following day, and the daily needs of fuels for
the Gaza Strip are entered on a daily basis without any possibility
of storing reserves. The Gaza Strip consumes 200 tons of domestic gas,
two million liters of benzene and eight million liters of gasoline daily.
In light of the continued
deterioration of humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, PCHR calls
upon the international community:
1. To reopen Rafah International
Communication to keep links between the Gaza Strip and the outside world,
and allow the freedom of movement of its civilian population;
2. To pressurize Israeli
occupation authorities to lift the economic siege imposed on the Gaza
Strip, open commercial crossing to allow the flow of goods, and abstain
from practicing the policy of collective punishment which deprives the
civilian population of enjoying their economic and social rights;
3. To immediately intervene
to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and human rights
law in order to stop the deterioration of living conditions of the Palestinian
civilians population in the Gaza Strip;
4. Not to punish the population
of the Gaza Strip through halting financial aids; rather increase assistance
to international humanitarian organizations, especially UNRWA, and call
them for increasing their relief, educational and health assistance
and expanding the scope of humanitarian services;
5. To remind the State of
Israel, the occupying power of the Gaza Strip, of its legal obligations
under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 towards the Palestinian civilian
population; Article 55 of the Convention states: "To the fullest
extent of the means available to it the Occupying Power has the duty
of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population; it should,
in particular, bring in the necessary foodstuffs, medical stores and
other articles if the resources of the occupied territory are inadequate.
The Occupying Power may not requisition foodstuffs, articles or medical
supplies available in the occupied territory, except for use by the
occupation forces and administration personnel, and then only if the
requirements of the civilian population have been taken into account;"
and
6. Particularly on the High
Contracting Partied to fulfill their obligations under article one of
the Convention to ensure the application of the Convention by IOF to
ensure protection for Palestinian civilians.
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