Reports being received today from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and other humanitarian actors present on the ground in Gaza are most distressing, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said today (15 January 2009).

The IFRC describes the situation as completely and utterly unacceptable based on every known standard of international humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles and values, and condemns the fact that PRCS facilities have been so severely damaged and its staff prevented from sufficiently carrying out their humanitarian mission.

In particular, it condemns the destruction caused to the PRCS Al Quds hospital and administrative buildings that has resulted in widespread fire damage. At the same time, the second floor of the hospital suffered a direct hit causing fires in the pharmacy and severe damage in many parts of the hospital.

Five hundred people, among them 30 war-wounded patients, are right now huddled on the ground floor of the PRCS hospital in fear for their lives, and choking on dust and fumes resulting from the attacks and other war damage.

Furthermore, this morning the PRCS warehouse was enveloped in fire after an attack by the IDF. PRCS volunteers who rushed to the scene in an effort to put out the fire were prevented from doing so by the IDF, who fired at them. The PRCS warehouse is in a compound that also houses a large fuel depot - the fear now is that this will ignite causing a massive loss of life and property which could be avoided. The IFRC also notes and deplores the attacks that are also being carried out against the UN compound and warehouses.

The IFRC and its sister organization the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is fully active and operational in the region, deplores the dire humanitarian situation and suffering that the people of Gaza are being subjected to. Additionally, the IFRC applauds the ongoing humanitarian work being carried out by the medical staff and volunteers of the PRCS and deplores the fact that their job has not been facilitated as it should be according to customary and universal standards applicable in conflict situations.

Thousands of people are in urgent need of medical attention which is next to impossible to deliver due to the ongoing hostilities and the massive obstacles preventing humanitarian access to the civilian population. The parties to the conflict must immediately facilitate humanitarian access to the suffering population of Gaza.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

Paul Conneally, Media and External Communications Manager (Geneva) +41 (0) 79 308 9809 Marwan Jilani, Head of Zone, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Tel: +962-79-6340346