PALESTINE - Gaza Emergency 24 January 2007 Background The humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories in general and in Gaza Strip in particular has continually and rapidly deteriorated since January 2006 when Hamas won the parliamentary elections and formed the new government.

Since then, most direct financial aid to the Palestinian Authority was suspended. Israel also froze the transfer of custom tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, depriving it from a major source of revenue. As a result, over 160,000 Palestinian civil servants have only been partially or irregularly paid, placing new strains on more than 79% of households. The international community stopped most funding after internal violence erupted in Gaza Strip in June 2007. These actions have resulted in shortages of food, medical and relief items, spare parts for critical health and water sanitation equipment, materials for humanitarian projects and raw materials for the Gaza Strip's commerce and industry.

The sanctions on fuel, reduction on the delivery of electricity, and restrictions on imports (e.g. leading to humanitarian projects valued at USD 213 million being on hold), have additional consequence on the humanitarian situation of the densely populated Gaza Strip.

In September 2007, Israel declared the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity", which was immediately followed by a series of collective punishment measures that have crippled Gaza's already suffering economy. Israel has almost completely denied the import of basic needs (including medicine), severely limited exports, cut fuel supplies to the impoverished Strip, and halted the movement of people to and from Gaza, including those in need of urgent medical care. This declaration followed months of Israeli closure of the Egyptian-Gazan border crossing at Rafah, during which thousands of Palestinians were stranded in Egypt. The Rafah crossing remains closed since 9 June 2007. With the Erez crossing into Israel all but closed, the Gaza Strip has become what some refer to an 'open prison' with a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation and Gaza's population now almost entirely dependent on humanitarian food aid.

On the evening of 22-23 January 2008, Gaza's border with Egypt was blown open by explosives and since then Palestinians have poured out of Gaza into Egypt to stock up on supplies.

Humanitarian Situation in Palestine The blockade by Israel is making prices for commodities skyrocket (making them too expensive for more and more people). The lack of fuel also has implications for Gaza's water supply and sanitation infrastructure with rivers of untreated sewage already flowing through the streets and into homes in this densely populated strip of land.

In an opinion column today in 'The Guardian' newspaper in the United Kingdom, UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen Koning AbuZayd said, "Gaza is on the threshold of becoming the first territory to be intentionally reduced to a state of abject destitution."

Islamic Relief Response On 22 January 2008 Islamic Relief launched a 5 million GBP appeal for Gaza. A summary of IR PAL activities so far:

On 22 January 2008: • 20,000 USD worth of medical disposables were delivered to Gaza hospitals; these materials were available on Gaza market.

On 23 January 2008: • 20,000 USD worth of medical drugs were delivered to Gaza hospitals; these materials were available on Gaza market. • food materials tender has been announced to local traders in Gaza, will be opened today and orders expected to be issued in the evening of 24 January worth 600,000 USD as we try to get 20,000 food parcels delivered to the most needy families (at least half of the amount of food required is currently available in the local market in Gaza).

On 24 January 2008 • IRPAL arranged purchasing food materials and blankets from Egypt as mentioned below:

Food Items: # Type Quantity (ton) 1 Rice 500 2 Sugar 500 3 Beans 150 4 White Kidney Beans 150 5 Lentils 150 6 Corn Oil (5ltr. per bottle) 50,000 bottles 7 Tomato (600g or kilo) 150,000 cans

Other needs # Type Quantity Blankets 15,000

• About 500 kitchen tools and food parcels are being delivered to poor people in Gaza

Next Steps IR Palestine is continuing its work in delivering emergency aid to the people of Gaza, especially medicines, medical disposables and food.

Sources Field reports, ReliefWeb and AlertNet.

Contact Information Middle East & Eastern Europe Desk Rianne ten Veen +44-121-6220687 rianne.tenveen@islamic-relief.org.uk

Media Jamsheed Din +44-121-622 0663 / +44-7720-451 310 Helen Mould +44-121-622 0719