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Gaza Strip Crisis Interim Progress Report Emergency Appeal - Gaza Strip Crisis Palestine Red Crescent Society Emergency Appeal – Gaza Strip Crisis 1 March 2009 This report covers the period of 27/12/08 to 01/03/09 of a six-month emergency appeal process, with an emphasis on the post-ceasefire period. For the 22 days in duration of hostilities please refer to “ PRCS report on the Israeli military operation on Gaza Strip ” PRCS teams remove dead bodies from under the rubble of the destroyed houses in the Gaza Strip . In brief Program Purpose: The overall goal of the appeal is to enable the restoration of the infrastructure, medical supplies, and program operation of the PRCS humanitarian core services to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Programme summary: The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) launched on 31 December 2008 a six-month Preliminary Emergency Appeal followed by the Revised Emergency Appeal on 21 January 2009, in response to the humanitarian crisis resulting from Israel’s massive military operation throughout the Gaza Strip. Over the past month, PRCS staff, volunteers and International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners as well as non-Movement organizations have implemented disaster management activities and provided urgently needed emergency medical and relief services. PRCS is also beginning to prepare for rebuilding of damaged infrastructure, replacement of medical supplies, and initiation of rehabilitation and psychosocial services. PRCS launched the Emergency Appeal – Gaza Strip Crisis in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation). Financial situation: PRCS launched the Preliminary Emergency Appeal – Gaza Strip Crisis for a total budgeted amount of USD 6,826,874, which has since been revised to USD 17,256,348 due to the emerging needs on the ground in the Gaza Strip. USD 14,048,776 has been received as of 7 March 2009, which accounts for 81% of the revised budget in the Mobilization Table. ICRC provided about 25% of the requested funds. Other financial contributors include: American Red Cross, Austrian Red Cross, Australian Red Cross, British Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross, Danish Red Cross, German Red Cross, Icelandic Red Cross, Japanese Red Cross, Netherlands Red Cross, Palang Merah Indonesia, Qatar Red Crescent, Spanish Red Cross, Swedish Red Cross, Swiss Red Cross, United Arab Emirates Red Crescent, and Asamblea de Cooperación Por la Paz (ACPP), Islamic Help, Italian Mission in Geneva, Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC), other private donors. The outstanding amount is USD 3,207,571. The Mobilization Table is being updated and is available upon request . Our partners: PRCS worked with many partners inside and outside the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including community-based, Palestinian government, United Nations and international humanitarian organizations. PRCS staff and volunteers worked with these organizations to provide drinking water and relief supplies, medical care, psychosocial support, rehabilitation services and assistive devices, tracking of missing persons, emergency shelter, and assessments of damage and subsequent needs. Partners inside the Movement included American RC, Austrian RC, Australian RC, British RC, Canadian RC, Danish RC, Egypt RC, German RC, Icelandic RC, Japanese RC, Jordan RC, Libya RC, Netherlands RC, Palang Merah Indonesia, Qatar RC, Spanish RC, Swedish RC, Swiss RC, United Arab Emirates RC. Context The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) launched a six-month Revised Emergency Appeal on 21 January 2009, in response to the humanitarian crisis resulting from Israel’s massive military operation throughout the Gaza Strip. The Israeli operation began on 27 December 2008, with air strikes, artillery shelling, war ship bombardments and ground force invasi ons continuing for a total of 22 days. On 18 January 2009, both Israel and the Palestinian factions individually declared unilateral ceasefires. The attacks have left Gaza in ruins, including destruction to thousands of civilian homes and businesses, public infrastructure, bui ldings and installations. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports more than 1,300 people have been killed and 5,300 wounded, of whom 1,855 are children. These numbers are likely to rise as bodies are recovered from the rubble of demolished buildings and homes. PRCS health facilities were severely damaged and essential medical materials are depleted or in dangerously low supply. On January 15, the PRCS Al -Quds Hospital in Gaza City sustained significant damage when bombed from the air and attacked by Israeli ground forces. Nearby, the 8 -storey PRCS administration building and Emergency Medical Centre were also damaged from the bombing and fires. PRCS ’s main warehouse in Gaza City was bombed and caught fire, des troying all stored supplies. In Jabalia refugee camp, the PRCS Primary Health Care centre and the EMS station were seriously damaged . PRCS vehicles, including 16 ambulances have been destroyed. Hospitals are seriously understaffed and unable to cope with t he influx of hundreds of injuries. Due to Israel’s 18 -month blockade of the Gaza Strip, medicine and medical equipment were already in short supply prior to the military operation and the few truckloads of urgently needed medicine that Israel has allowed i n is inadequate to meet the need. Damage to critical infrastructure has compromised PRCS capacity to provide needed services and has 2 put the general health of the Palestinian population at great risk. Electrical supply is poor due to the lack of fuel and the power plants being destroyed. Lack of power has impeded proper functioning of surgical rooms. The sewage system is also impacted. Access to clean water has been a rapidly growing concern, as pumping stations are no longer running properly. Food is also in short supply. Faced with the rapid deterioration of the current humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, PRCS launched a six-month Emergency Appeal. The Emergency Appeal is intended to secure the necessary funding for restoring the PRCS health infrastructure in order to continue providing preventive, curative, emergency and specialized health care services with a particular focus on the most vulnerable population, including all wounded people, women, and children. Progress towards objectives Health and Care Primary Health Care (PHC) Outcome(s)/Expected result(s) : Due to the lack of safety and movement restrictions during the Israeli incursions, the five PHC centres in the Gaza Strip were forced to close and services suspended. Over the pas t three months, PRCS had provided for adequate inventory of supplies and medicine to sustain services in the event of an Israeli attack. However, these were destroyed on January 15 when Israel bombed PRCS’s Al Nur medical centre, burning down the supply warehouse. During the war, PHC made preparations for the reopening and full -functioning of its programs once the ceasefire was in place. The expected outcomes outlined in the Emergency Appeal include: (1) Assess needs for medicine, medical supplies and equip ment, (2) Distribute essential medicines for maternity/delivery, paediatric care and chronic illness, (3) Provide services through the five PHC clinics, and (4) Support PHC medical personnel with additional staff from the West Bank , as determined by the assessment. Achievements: Even before the ceasefire began, PHC arranged to prepare supplies and personnel to go to the Gaza Strip . In the first three days of the Israeli military operation, PHC was able to transfer medicines from the West Bank to Gaza but then the Israelis blocked further entry and delivery. On January 15, the inventory from these earlier shipments was mostly destroyed when Israel bombed PRCS’s Al Nur medical centre , burning down the supply warehouse. Since the ceasefire ended, PHC has prepared a comprehensive list of all needed medical supplies, including medicine kits for adults and for children and disposable kits, serving approximately 2,000 patients. PRCS will purchase from this list with donations from the Emergency Appeal once funds are available. In the meantime, PRCS has arranged for supplies in the West Bank to be sent to Gaza along with 15 medical kits and disposables that were purchased by the Coca Cola Company in the West Bank . Additionally, the German Red Cross has donated 2,000 baby kits (e.g., hygienic supplies, powder, alcohol, dressing gowns). The baby kits along with the Coca Cola Company donations and existing supplies from PRCS stock in the West Bank are now awaiting permission from the Israelis to be transferred to Gaza through ICRC. Based on the initial assessment, PRCS planned to send 10 general medicine physicians from the West Bank to provide additional support to the PHC team in Gaza. The team is prepared to go but have not yet received permission from Israel to enter Gaza. Since the ceasefires, PRCS has reinstated its services and reopened all five of its centres (in Khalil Wazir, Jabalia, Khan Younis, Ma’an, and Al-Mawasi). The Jabalia facility is still damaged but nylon and plastic sheeting is covering the broken w indows to make the building useable. PRCS is working with ICRC to determine an estimate for reconstruction costs. PHC centres serve chronically ill patients, including those with diabetes, heart disease and renal failure. They also provide maternal-child health centres, providing antenatal care, well -baby check-ups, nutritional assessments and information, and sick child care. PRCS is considering dedicating one tent in each of its seven displaced persons camps to be used as a clinic for the camp inhabitants . The tents would be staffed with volunteer medical personnel already inside Gaza who would be paid a small allowance of about NIS 1,500 monthly. The DMU and PHC departments are considering this proposal . Challenges or Constraints : As is the case in all efforts to successfully meet PRCS health care, 3 emergency services and relief goals in Gaza, the primary obstacle is Israel’s cont rol over the entry of equipment, supplies and personnel into the Strip.
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