Gaza braces for bitter winter
Mel Frykberg, The Electronic Intifada, 17 November 2009
EZBT ABBED RABBO, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza living in tents and damaged homes face a wet, cold and miserable winter as Israel's blockade of the coastal territory continues to prevent the importation of building and reconstruction material.
During the last few weeks Gazans were given a brief reprieve from the oncoming winter as an unseasonal snap of warmish, sunny weather held off winter rain and plummeting temperatures.
But, during a tour of northern Gaza last week, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, Maxwell Gaylard, and the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) called on Israel to open its border crossings immediately to avert a further deterioration in the humanitarian situation on the ground.
"With winter rains and cold weather now imminent, the people of Gaza are even more desperately in need of construction materials such as cement, roofing tiles and glass to build and repair homes destroyed and damaged during the Israeli military offensive of 2008/2009," said Gaylard.
Read more @ Electronic Intifada
UN scrutinises Gaza 'war crimes'
The UN's main human rights watchdog has begun a debate on a damning report into Israel's military operation against Gaza eight months ago.
It is seen as a test of US engagement with the Human Rights Council, which was shunned by President George W Bush.
The US, which is Israel's main ally, has criticised elements of the report.
The report, widely lauded by human rights groups, accuses both Israel and its militant Palestinian adversary Hamas of war crimes in the campaign.
Read more @ BBC News
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Gaza's water supply near collapse
RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that Gaza's access to safe supply of drinking water could cease at any time. The World Health Organization (WHO) says outbreaks of disease could be triggered as a consequence.
The warnings follow a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report Monday that "Gaza's underground water system is in danger of collapse after recent conflict compounded by years of overuse and contamination."
"An outbreak of Hepatitis A and parasitic infections could occur at any time," Mahmoed Daher from WHO in Gaza told IPS. "Already the number of people, especially children, suffering from diarrhea has risen dramatically."
"We have noticed an increase in people suffering from kidney diseases from water contaminated with toxins, as well as babies born with an unnatural blue tinge," Munther Shoblak from Gaza's Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) told IPS.
The UNEP report focuses on a rise in saltwater intrusion from the sea caused by over-extraction of ground water, and pollution from sewage and agricultural run-off, with toxic levels high enough to put infants at risk of nitrate poisoning.
Read more @ Electronic Intifada
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Reflections of (Gaza) War
Part 1:
(more after the break)
Part 2:
Gaza’s Tragedy
Gaza’s Tragedy
An Already worn-out Gaza was pounded by Israel in a three-week offensive, now a fragile ceasefire holds as the world watches and Gazans count their dead.
By SAAD AJMAL
It wasn’t the first time Israel has been at war with its neighbour the Palestinians and maybe
It won’t be the last either. It all started when a ceasefire between Israel and
Israel’s offensive in Gaza- Blessed by Arab Rulers
By Majed Iqbal- Minute to minute reporting, live coverage, updates and pictures from a territory otherwise known as the world’s largest prison, Gaza have hit our screens at the beginning of 2009 showing Israel’s offensive on the area with claims that Hamas, the people’s choice and democratically elected government of Palestine, had broken a truce for a ceasefire with Israel and ordered for a military incursion into the area.
The strip, home to 1.5 million people, has been already suffering shortages of power, food and medical supplies due to a two-year blockade imposed by Israel on the area and was now turning into a war zone with people fleeing their homes as airstrikes began to deafen the cries of the crippling Gazan Territory.
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