By KUNA
London : The humanitarian situation in Gaza is worse now than at any time since the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967, UK human rights and aid organisations said in a new report Thursday.
A coalition of charities and groups labelled the blockade unacceptable and called on the British Government to condemn it publicly and press for a new strategy for the war-torn area.
Poverty and unemployment levels are rising, hospitals are suffering 12-hours-a-day power cuts and the water and sewage systems are close to collapse, according to today’s report.
The severity of the situation has “increased exponentially since Israel imposed extreme restrictions on the movements of people and goods in response to the Hamas take-over of Gaza and to indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel”, the report said.
The coalition, comprising Amnesty International, CARE International UK, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Medecins du Monde UK, Oxfam, Save The Children UK and Trocaire, described Israel’s blockade of Gaza as a collective punishment of the entire Gazan population of 1.5 million.
It concludes that the blockade policy is unacceptable, illegal and fails to provide security for Palestinians and Israelis.
The report comes after Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband warned both sides to “step back from the brink” in the worsening crisis over Gaza.
Miliband said in a statement recently he was “deeply concerned” by the decision of the Palestinian Authority to break off negotiations with the Israeli Government after its forces launched military strikes on Gaza last weekend, reportedly claiming around 100 lives.
Meanwhile, Geoffrey Dennis, chief executive of CARE International UK, said “The recent escalation in violence, both from rocket attacks and military strikes, will make life even more unbearable in Gaza”.
“Unemployment has soared and 80 percent of people in Gaza are now dependent on food aid compared to 63 percent in 2006”.
“Water and sewage infrastructure is on the point of total collapse”.
“Unless the blockade ends now, it will be impossible to pull Gaza back from the brink of this disaster and any hopes for peace in the region will be dashed”, he added.
According to the report, poverty and unemployment levels have dramatically worsened as a result of the blockade of Gaza, and education and health services have deteriorated.
More than 1.1 million people are now dependent on food aid and of 110,000 workers previously employed in the private sector, 75,000 workers have now lost their jobs.
For her part, Amnesty International UK director Miss Kate Allen said “Israel has the right and obligation to protect its citizens, but as the occupying power in Gaza, it also has a legal duty to ensure that Gazans have access to food, clean water, electricity and medical care”.
“Punishing the entire Gazan population by denying them these basic human rights is utterly indefensible. The current situation is man-made and must be reversed”.
The coalition’s 16-page report entitled “The Gaza Strip: A Humanitarian Implosion”, calls on the UK Government and the EU to press for a new strategy for Gaza.
In particular, the report called on the British Government to condemn the blockade, exert greater pressure on the Israeli Government to open the crossings into Gaza and stop fuel and electricity cuts, help facilitate a process of Palestinian reconciliation that can lead to a credible and effective peace process with Israel, and abandon the policy of non-engagement and begin negotiations with all Palestinian parties, including Hamas.
The report also called on the Israeli Government and Palestinian armed groups to stop all attacks against civilians.