[WCUSP] Fwd: 1.The siege in Gaza 2.URGENT PETITION to END THE HEALTH CRISIS IN GAZA

[Odile Hugonot Haber]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Karen deslierres <karendes at umich.edu>
Date: Dec 6, 2007 11:49 AM
Subject: 1.The siege in Gaza 2.URGENT PETITION to END THE HEALTH CRISIS IN GAZA
To: Karen deslierres <karendes at umich.edu>





Please contact your House Member and Senators on this issue ASAP.  The
situation is critical.

Peace,
        Bill
**********************************************

Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:06:59 +0200
From: bahia amro <bahia at pmrs.ps>


Palestinian Medical Relief Society Calls for an immediate end to the
murderous siege of Gaza



People are dying in Gaza. Patients die in their hospital beds because
they are denied permits to access life-saving treatments abroad.
Patients with such permits die at the Erez crossing because the
Israeli military denies them exit, despite their permits.

These are all avoidable deaths. These are patients diagnosed with a
critical condition, seeking life–saving treatment. This is tantamount
to murder. Premeditated murder. More than 29 Palestinians have already
died in this manner so far.  A further 900 are still waiting to
permits to leave the Strip.

But this is only the tip of the iceberg, for the collective punishment
unleashed on the Palestinian people in Gaza cuts much deeper: food,
goods, medicine, medical supplies, critical equipment, construction
materials and now fuel and electricity. The closure of the crossings
by the Israeli military and the new delivery cuts ordered by the
Israeli government are far reaching. All sectors of life are impacted;
all the population is under attack.

Hospitals depend on medicine and medical supplies, water distribution
depends on pumps that need fuel and electricity, sewage treatment
plants depend on fuel and critical spare parts, factories and
construction yards depend on imported raw materials, but all of these
are unavailable in the Strip. Tens of thousands of jobs have been
destroyed, and only 41% of the basic commercial food import needs
reach the impoverished Gazan people, who now buy 79% less food than
before the siege. People walk in the dark at night, for lack of fuel
for transportation and power for public lighting.

The health sector in particular is suffering. Seven out of the 17
incubators at the Gaza paediatric hospital are not functioning
properly. Twenty percent of essential drugs and 31% of essential
medical supplies are no longer available. "Zero availability" is the
technical term used by the United Nation Agencies in their reports.

While all these facts are well known, this massive violation of
international humanitarian law is taking place openly, and the
international community's failure to uphold international law and
pressure Israel is abysmal.

There are no technical terms for the suffering endured by the
Palestinians in Gaza. There is no one to denounce the inhumanity of
the Israeli siege and the cruelty of its treatment of an entire
population, women, children, and patients included.

PMRS, on behalf of the people of Gaza, calls for an immediate campaign
to lift the Israeli siege of the Strip.

Everyone must act now to stop this collective punishment. It is the
only ethical, just and humane thing to do. The siege must stop. Now.


Subject: Gaza petition,please sign - without fuel health system will collapse


 Also after the "disengagement" Gaza depends on Israel for its basic
provisions. Now the IDF closes the taps - collective punishment for a
million and a half people.

The following request by Dr Medhat Abbas is about the shortage of
diesel and the relation to health. For those who need treatment, it
can mean the difference between life and death. Please, sign the
petition.


Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 04:24:06 -0800
Subject: URGENT PETITION to END THE HEALTH CRISIS IN GAZA

Appeal - Appeal - Appeal

We have a very series shortage of diesel in the ministry of Health
the majority of the 11 hospitals of MOH do suffer from a shortage of
fuel, the same is for the 52 primary health care clinics and vehicles.
I am not speaking now about the consequences but they are catastrophic
and include the transportation defect which will not enable the
employees of the Ministry to go to their hospitals.
Please. We urge you to help us by applying any sort of pressure that
could let the Israelis change their mind about this fatal action that
would threaten the lives of thousands of civilians in the already
under siege Gaza.
Dr Medhat Abbas
General Director of
Crisis Management Unit
Ministry of Health, Gaza.
Contact: mabbas at gov.ps


URGENT PETITION to END THE HEALTH CRISIS IN GAZA

Since Israeli government declared Gaza as "hostile entity" on 19th
September 2007,Israel blocks delivery of essential medicines to Gaza
Strip and doesn't allow Palestinian patients to go outside of Gaza for
urgent treatment.

The United Nations, The World Health Organisation and Physicians for
Human Rights have condemned Israel for this situation, but Israeli
government is still continue to its policy and Palestinian patients
are slowly dying in front of the world.

All the victims of this humanitarian crisis are innocent civilians, and
many of them are children. For example in 14th November 2007, 6 months
old Palestinian baby Sina al-Hajj died because Israeli government
didn't allow her to cross Gaza border for geting treatment.
Palestinian MP Jamal Al Khudari said now there are more than a
thousand Palestinian patients in urgent need of treatment who are not
allowed to leave Gaza.

Please sign this petition to call the United Nations and the Israeli
government to allow the Palestinian patients having treatment outside
of Gaza: http://www.thepetit ionsite.com/ 1/save-gaza
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