Normalverkehr

 FIELD UPDATE ON GAZA FROM THE HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR

30 January - 2 February 2009, 1700 hours

© OCHA/Reliefweb.int

Overall Situation

The number of truckloads of aid permitted to enter Gaza daily by the Israeli authorities remains insufficient, and humanitarian organizations continue to face serious restrictions to enter Gaza. These constraints are impairing the ability of aid organizations to respond to the urgent needs of the population in a timely and effective manner.

On 2 February, the Gaza Flash Appeal was launched in Geneva. Amounting to $613 million, it is a strategic plan incorporating 106 NGO and 82 UN projects to respond to the emergency humanitarian and early recovery needs of the Gaza population. A copy of the appeal can be obtained at www.reliefweb.int or at www.ochaopt.org.

Food

According to WFP, between 35-60 percent of the agriculture industry has been damaged by the Israeli military operation. FAO estimates that 13,000 families who depend directly on farming, herding and fishing have suffered significant damage to their livelihoods.

Health

Most health facilities have resumed normal operation. Referral abroad of patients requiring specialized care has resumed, although at a lower level than before the crisis. Prior to 27 December, an average of 500 medical cases per month were referred out of Gaza via Erez, out of an average of 800-900 applications submitted per month. From 27 December to 29 January, 30 medical cases were referred out of Gaza via Erez; 97 applications were submitted between 1-21 January.

Water and Sanitation

Preliminary findings of the Palestinian Hydrology Group’s initial rapid needs assessment of households show that Al Atatra and Izbet Abed Rabbo sustained the most damage to their water network during the military operation, with 50 percent of their network damaged. Other areas, including Al Salateen, Al Twam, Jahr ad Deek Al Mughraga, Khuza’a and Al Fukhari, sustained damage to 30-35 percent of their water network.

In total, 5,708 roof-top tanks were completely destroyed and 2,985 were damaged. 2,204 solar heaters were destroyed and 1,762 were damaged.

The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU), Gaza’s water utility, continues to work on urgent maintenance of the water and wastewater networks, though it will be unable to complete the repair without the entry of needed spare parts into Gaza, which remains problematic.

On 28 January, ICRC requested approval from the Israeli authorities for the entry of 36 trucks containing repair material; only 13 trucks were allowed into Gaza. PVC pipes that ICRC had previously cleared were refused entry by the Israeli authorities.

Access into the Gaza Strip

NGOs continue to face difficulties accessing the Gaza Strip to carry out humanitarian work. Humanitarian personnel are only allowed to enter Gaza through Erez crossing after receiving prior clearance by the Israeli authorities.

Many NGOs have failed to receive a response from the Israeli authorities regarding their applications, while others were requested to provide additional information regarding their specific mandates, activities and funding sources. Others have been denied entry altogether. A key problem has been inconsistency in the application process; some staff members are informed that they have been approved, only to be denied entry when they attempt to cross Erez. In other cases, staff receive conflicting information from Israeli authorities regarding regulations that must be met before entry is allowed.

The inability of NGOs to enter their humanitarian staff into the Gaza Strip, along with inconsistent, unpredictable procedures, impedes the ability of NGOs to effectively plan their humanitarian response and obstructs efforts to address the humanitarian crisis brought about by 18 months of closure and Israel’s recent military operation.

Crossings

On 1-2 February, Rafah terminal was open in both directions subject to prior co-ordination from the Egyptian authorities; Erez was open for internationals subject to prior co-ordination from the Israeli authorities; Karni was closed except for the conveyor belt; Nahal Oz was closed; Sofa was closed; and Kerem Shalom was open. On 31 January, the Karni conveyor belt was closed, as were Nahal Oz, Kerem Shalom and Erez due to the Jewish Sabbath. On 30 January, Rafah, Erez and Kerem Shalom were open, while the Karni conveyor belt and Nahal Oz were closed.

The Israeli authorities have assured the humanitarian community that Kerem Shalom would be improved to allow 150 trucks per day. However, for the most part, capacity has not exceeded 120 truckloads.

Only a very restricted list of items is being allowed in. For example, on 30 January, UNRWA was not allowed to bring in the plastic bags that it uses to distribute supplies. With some 20,000 food parcels distributed daily, these bags are a vital component of UNRWA’s assistance.

Priority Needs

Opening of crossings: All crossings into Gaza and Israel must be operational and the number of trucks allowed into the Gaza Strip needs to be increased. The following items in Gaza are critically needed:

• Spare parts and fuel for the power plant, hospitals and water and sewage treatment facilities;
• Cement, sand and other construction materials to rebuild destroyed schools, hospitals, clinics and homes.

Humanitarian Access to Gaza: In the aftermath of the Israeli military operation, it is critical that full and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza be granted by all parties to the conflict. International agencies have faced unprecedented denial of access to Gaza since 5 November. Humanitarian access remains unreliable and needs to be granted every day without restriction.

Cash/liquidity: Cash has still not entered the Gaza Strip (except for a few international organizations) and is urgently needed to reactivate the private sector and prevent increasing dependence on aid. The lack of cash prevents access to basic supplies. A system must be urgently established that ensures the regular and predictable monthly transfer of the necessary cash.

Operational security: Explosive remnants of war are limiting the access of humanitarian workers to certain areas. Security, including the marking and clearance of UXOs, is essential to ensure efficient delivery of humanitarian assistance to the population.

Links:

• UNISPAL (Full OCHA report)
• UNWRA
• OCHA