TEL AVIV, 30 June 2009 (IRIN) - A new report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) paints a grim picture of life in the Gaza Strip: insufficient housing, damaged infrastructure, limited access to clean water and the discharge of raw sewage into the sea.

The report identifies restrictions on the movement of people and goods over the past two years as one of the main causes of the crisis in Gaza. ICRC demands that the restrictions be lifted.

According to the report, about 1.5 million Gazans are still unable to rebuild their lives. Thousands of Gazans, whose homes and belongings were destroyed during the 23-day Israeli offensive which ended on 18 January 2009, are still without adequate shelter.

"Israel has the right to protect its population against attacks," Antoine Grand, head of the ICRC's sub-delegation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), said in a statement. "But does that mean that 1.5 million people in Gaza do not have the right to live a normal life?"

Israel controls three land crossings into Gaza, as well as the coastal border (the sole airstrip in Gaza was destroyed by Israel in 2001). Only 30-40 selected commercial items are allowed into Gaza, compared to the 4,000 approved before the Israeli clampdown.

Anne-Sophie Bonefeld from ICRC in Jerusalem said people's diets were being affected.

"They might still be getting enough calories, but for the children this has resulted in deficiencies in iron, vitamin A and vitamin D, which may lead to stunted growth, immune system weakness and reduced learning abilities. ICRC also wishes to stress that Gaza is sinking deeper into poverty and this is likely to affect the children most of all."

Physicians for Human Rights

Ran Yaron, OPT project manager at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a US-based NGO, told IRIN: ''The report corroborates PHR claims during and after the [Israeli military] operation regarding the breakdown of the medical system and civil society in Gaza."

"Israeli policy… does not allow patients to leave Gaza and on the other hand controls the medical system in Gaza in two ways - not allowing medical staff out of Gaza for training, and… preventing the entry of supplies and equipment needed for the system to function at accepted standards,'' Yaron said.

The Israeli Defence Ministry's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit, which coordinates civilian and humanitarian aid issues between the government, the Israeli Defense Forces, international organizations and the Palestinian Authority, declined to comment.

Officials at the Israeli Ministry of Justice told IRIN: "We have received the report and are now examining it.''

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Israel and OPT in statistics

Population in 2007 Israel 7.18 million OPT 3.71 million

Economy Gross National Income (GNI) per capita in 2005 Israel: US$22,930 OPT: US$1,290

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2005 Israel: $133.19 billion OPT: $4.02 billion

Demographics Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women aged 15-19) in 2007 Israel: 14 OPT: 79

Total fertility rate (the number of births per woman) 2000-2005 Israel: 2.9 OPT: 5.8

Health Child mortality (under-five) rate in 2007 Israel: 5 OPT: 27

TB prevalence in 2005 Israel: 6 cases per every 100,000 OPT: 36

IT Number of mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people: Israel: 124 OPT 28

Number of telephone mainlines per 1,000 people in 2005 Israel: 424

OPT: 96

Number of Internet users per 1,000 people in 2005: Israel: 470 OPT: 67

Nutrition Less than 2.5 percent of Israel's population was undernourished in 2002/04, as against 16 percent in OPT.

(Sources: UN Human Development Report 2007/2008 and World Bank)

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