author Monday June 29, 2009

The International Red Cross reported Monday that six months after Israel's offensive in Gaza, 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are still living in poverty, despair and are unable to rebuild their lives and structures.


The Red Cross added that the strict Israeli siege and restrictions on the Gaza Strip are blocking the international efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip although 4.5 million US dollars are allocated for reconstruction efforts.

It also stated that the Gaza Strip lacks basic medications, its basic infrastructure is ruined, and that the water supplies are irregular, while sanitation is collapsing.

The organization demanded Israel to allow the entry of spare parts, water pipes, construction materials and other basic supplies into the Gaza Strip to start the reconstruction process.

It added that the patients in Gaza are not receiving the needed treatment as the siege emptied the hospitals from the basic medical supplies and equipment. The repeated power outages, due to the lack of fuel to run the generators and Israel’s shelling of Gaza’ Power Station, caused further suffering and limited the functionality of hospitals and medical centers.

Hundreds of patients died in Gaza, hundreds remain in critical conditions but Israel is still baring their transfer to hospitals in Egypt or elsewhere.

The Red Cross further reported that poverty rates in Gaza have reached alarming levels, and that larger numbers of children are suffering from malnutrition.

The international organization linked the situation in Gaza to the three-week Israeli offensive earlier this year, in which more than 1417 Palestinians, including 936 civilians, were killed and thousands were wounded, and also linked the situation to the ongoing Israeli siege.

On the Israeli side, ten soldiers were killed in Gaza and three settlers were killed by Palestinian fire targeting settlements surrounding Gaza.

The Red Cross said that thousands of Palestinians have lost their homes due to Israel’s war, and that the residents are still homeless.

More than 70% of the residents in Gaza are living below poverty line, as the average monthly income of a family of nine is less than $250.