December, 30 2008, 02:43pm EDT
CARE Delivers Emergency Relief in Gaza
Humanitarian group calls for swift action to stem suffering
ATLANTA
Leading aid agency CARE has set up a life-saving supply of medicines and equipment to hospitals in Gaza.
But
the agency has warned that the emergency resources - from limited
stocks within Gaza - will run out shortly. It is looking at ways of
bringing supplies in quickly from elsewhere - and is calling for an end
to the fighting to prevent wide-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
CARE
has already provided crucial pharmaceuticals and medical disposables to
the Al Ahli Arab hospital and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society
hospital and ambulance stations. The agency has a long-standing
presence in Gaza, and was able to establish a flow of supplies to
health workers within a few hours of the first bomb attack.
Health
staff and facilities are overwhelmed by the sheer scale and nature of
casualties flooding hospitals. CARE is planning to procure whatever
additional medical and relief supplies are available locally - and is
seeking clearance to bring supplies in through Israel.
Gaza has
been sealed for 19 months and in the last two months humanitarian
access has been reduced to the point that even basic needs have not
been met - including food, medicines and support to maintain fragile
civilian infrastructure including health, water and sanitation
facilities.
The bombardment has destroyed five mosques, water
infrastructure serving at least 20,000 people and private homes in Gaza
city and refugee camps.
Families are confined to their houses.
There are wheat and flour shortages. Fuel deliveries to Gaza have been
irregular and far below the level of need or demand for several months.
As a result people are lucky to have 6 hours of electricity a day,
hospitals are running on generators and need to curtail services to
conserve energy, and water and sanitation systems are only partially
functional.
"The people here have nowhere to run and nowhere to
hide. They are already suffering food shortages and a breakdown of
basic infrastructure. CARE is pleading with all sides not to increase
their suffering. Stop the fighting and allow non-partisan humanitarian
agencies full access to help these people," said Martha Myers, Country
Director for CARE in the West Bank and Gaza.
CARE will continue to provide medical assistance as well as supporting food needs of the poor and the injured.
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.
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