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Humanitarian Needs Increase as Conflict in Gaza Continues
Against many obstacles, Red Cross and Red Crescent partners are working to meet the needs of people affected by the conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israel.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009 —
A wounded Palestinian boy is carried into Shifa hospital in Gaza January 4, 2009. Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants battled in Gaza on Sunday after Israeli troops and tanks invaded the coastal enclave in the most serious fighting in the conflict in decades.
Photo Credit: REUTERS/Suhaib Salem, courtesy www.alertnet.org
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The American Red Cross is extremely concerned about civilians caught in the fighting in the Gaza Strip and Israel who are in dire need of life-saving aid. Red Cross and Red Crescent partners on the ground report that hospitals have been damaged by the fighting and are overflowing with injured patients and running short of medical supplies and specialists. In addition, water supply lines have been severed and the power grid has been significantly damaged leaving medical facilities relying on generators at a time when fuel is scarce.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross, Magen David Adom (MDA), are working around the clock to transport the wounded to hospitals, reinforcing medical teams, delivering medical and relief supplies and bringing in spare parts to repair generators.
An ICRC surgical team is now working to support the overstretched staff at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, which had a particularly large influx of patients with multiple traumas on Tuesday. The team helped resuscitate patients in the emergency room and performed operations. There are now two operating tables in each of the six operating rooms in Shifa Hospital.
In addition, the ICRC arranged safe passage on Tuesday for eight ambulances that transferred seriously wounded patients from hospitals in Gaza to the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Three truckloads of medicines, medical supplies, blankets and hygiene kits will be transported from Jerusalem to Gaza today.
The American Red Cross is contributing $250,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross and $250,000 to the PRCS in support of their efforts to address the increasing humanitarian needs for medical support, hospital supplies, and relief distributions. Assistance has also been offered to the MDA if the need arises.
The ICRC expressed concern today for the growing number of violent incidents that staff and volunteers are facing during efforts to carryout critical life-saving work. Most recently, several attempts to transport wounded civilians and deliver medical supplies had to be abandoned because of the fighting and the PRCS has been forced to evacuate several of its premises in areas where humanitarian needs are often greatest.
To help address these and other problems, the American Red Cross is in close communication with its partners on the ground and stands ready to provide additional assistance to our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners if necessary.
The American Red Cross is sending the assistance from the International Response Fund, which allows us to respond quickly to international humanitarian needs. To make a financial contribution to the International Response Fund or to donate specifically to this conflict, go to www.redcross.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS (or 1-800-257-7575).
You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation by either contacting 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish), or mailing your donation with the designation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to your local American Red Cross chapter. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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