Middle East News
UN expects humanitarian situation in Gaza to worsen
Jun 21, 2007, 17:59 GMT
New York - The humanitarian situation in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip will likely worsen because the area is mostly cut off after the shut down of crossing points with Israel, a United Nations official said Thursday.
'The humanitarian situation will decline dramatically in coming days, with food prices shooting up and hoarding,' said David Shearer, the UN official who coordinates humanitarian activities in occupied Palestinian territories.
Shearer said wheat flour, a main food staple, will be in short supplies in two to three weeks. Bread prices have increased by 40 per cent since Hamas took over Gaza last week, ousting rival Palestinian faction Fatah to the West Bank, in a dramatic turn of events in the Middle East conflict.
Shearer said UN assistance alone cannot meet food demands in Gaza and should be complemented by commercial supplies, which were hurt by the closing of border crossings.
UN officials said the Kerem Shalom crossing is letting through a few dozen trucks of commercial goods a day down from 200 to 300 trucks a day before. The UN said Wednesday it had been able to send 20 trucks of food and medicine supplies through the crossing this week and urged Israeli authorities to regularize access for commercial and humanitarian food imports.
An estimated 850,000 Palestinian refugees, of a total population of 1.4 million in Gaza, received food aid from UN agencies. The UN has called on Israel to open Karni, another crossing, to increase the volume of goods imports to Gaza. The World Food Programme said it had 104 containers waiting at the Karni crossing this week.
The UN office for coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA) said fuel, electricity and water supplies remain at normal levels in Gaza, and hospitals, primary clinics and emergency health services were continuing to operate.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
why do you feel violence is the only way to let your voices be heard?
Angel, you are an angel...If Israel and Mr. Bush really cared about the Palestinian People they would go to great lenghts to avoid a humanitarian crises,,but no they have to think about the situation and try to figure out how they can do this without losing politically or financially.....Hey..people need help, don't wait...help them!!!! Take $$$$$ from Israel's yearly MIllions and Millions $$$$$$$$$$ payments!!!!
Hamas is an 'honorable resistance movement??'' They threw some of their own beloved Palestinian people off the roof of a building. I agree that Israel and the US contributed to this situation, but so did Iran and Syria. Let's not be naive about the plight of the Palestinans. They knew full well what electing Hamas would mean to the peace process.
why wouldnt they look at the situation before helping? whats stopping funds from being diverted by Hamas in their reign of terror?
Angel it is much easier to blame anyone but yourself for your woes. In the case of any group facing peril it is rare that they should not take some burden on themselves. The Palestinian people have not had a fair shake. I will agree with that. At the same time they have done little or nothing to help their own situation. They blame Israel and the US but never themselves. In this case it is only them to blame. While you blame Israel and the US the FACT REMAINS that this is Palestinians killing Palestinians in a crisis created by Palestinians.
They have armed themselves and created a culture of violence and hate where problems are solved by blowing things up. Who would expect any less when they have internal strife. They will solve those problems the same way they always have. . . With violence.
Islamic hatred turning in on itself.
Once I saw a video of sharks in a feeding frenzy. One shark, a large one, actually got so wouund up it twisted around and bit a huge chunk right out of its own side!
An amazing video. Hamas in Gaza is that shark.
Islam = Insane
It is a religion of peace and harmony among men!
As long as they are dead.
It's time to get rid of the Jews(Zionist) ...before is too late..
Hitler had it right ...all along....and America ruined it ...now we will
pay the consequences. Want world peace...? getting rid of the Jews is the answer.
Jushea, you just confirmed everyone's worst fears about Muslims. Hopefully you are just another deranged Baptist.
It's time to get rid of the Jews ...before is too late..
Hitler had it right ...all along....and America ruined it ...now we will
pay the consequences. Want world peace...? getting rid of the Jews is the answer.
is that your answer to all of our world problems? 'get rid of the Jews'?
i dont understand what the 'jews' did to ruin lives over in the middle east. They've tried negotiations and offerings of land back that was taken during while defending themselves. but ppl in the middle east keep getting greedy, and see those signs as weaknesses. now the 'jews' are a very resiliant bunch. look what they've done in middle east with not support around them. Now, Palestinian ppl are surrounded by numerous fellow muslims and they have nothing to show. over 80% of their population depends on UN aid. can they not look within and see problems? or is it just easier blaming the Jews for their life problems? Take ownership of your issues and resolve them within.
Angel --- They are so 'honorable' they throw they own country men of roofs.. So honorable....
Jushea --- You reap what you sew...
The ignorance of the facts here is indeed appaling. The Palestinian people are unfortunately puppets of surrounding Arab nations and the corrucption of their own leadership.
Israel has a right to exist, period. The place for negotiations is at the table. Suicide bombers, while an irritant to Israel, will never change anything. Hamas believes in achieving its goals by death. They will not prevail.
Just a little bit of knowledge of history will show that Israelis have been more than willing to seek peace with its neighbors. Why is Jordan and Egypt thriving, while the Palestinian peole are not? They could be as well. Cooperation is the key. It is high time for moderates to stand up and have their voices heard.
As to the anti-Semites here, your absolute ignorance is a disgrace. At least take the time to infrm yourself!
from what ive heard, the Fatah is what is being favoured by the West over the big bad wolves of Hamas. However, majority of the ppl do not trust or support Fatah, they are corrupt in every way. Hamas is trying to lay down order, within Palestine,but their overall ideology of wiping out Isreal is unforgiving to the west. Both sides are dealing with all issues incorrectly. i do not support one over the other. however, i do support constructive talks at negotiations on peace. Isreal is wanting peace. its in their best interest, but not at the cost of security. Hamas, Fatah and other factions target any moving body part in Isreal. Isreal on the ohter hand, does targeting killins of these terrorists. they want violence to stop without casualties on both sides.
It's time to get rid of the Jews ...before is too late..
Hitler had it right ...all along....and America ruined it ...now we will
pay the consequences. Want world peace...? getting rid of the Jews is the answer.
He must be a religious and man. Manybe a Imaman ? He must be a true representation of an Islamist Person. This is what love and education can get you in the Arab world..Have you no couth? OINK OINK PIGGY BOY. You are dismissed now. So go and blow yourself up please.
You dichheads have your sheets wrapped way to tight??? Probably causes you to distort the facts. The HamASSes shoots rockets at innocent people in Israel, Then Israel comes back and attacks the people that shoot the rockets, but they are now hiding behind women and children. If the women and children get hurt it is the Israelis fault??? The HamAsses never hold any responsibility??? They are the eternal victims. Even now this whole crisis could have been avoided. Yet it shows that they are not capable of peace, taking care of themselves, or even taking baths. What a bankrupt race they are........Why don't they eat their AK-47s. That is the only thing the need as they recited over and over.
I have just reviewed the causalities from Hamasses recent little fight against the Fatah...More people were killed and wounded in the last month by the hamass butchers then by Israel in a year. Does the Hamass help the Israeli EVER?? The HamAss motto is to kill everyone. How sick are they??????? VERY!!!!!!!
page: 1
AngelJun 21st, 2007 - 18:35:55
Hamas is a honorable resistance movement: Israel is the bully occupier!
With all due respect to the people of Israel, the Zionist influenced government has violated all past peace accords including the current one with the Palestinians - a non-state and occupied people.
Israel is the only nation to have violated so many past treaties and Geneva conventions as evidence the 60+ UN condemnations against it. And the BBC Poll stating Israel least liked country. Israel just killed a 17 year old girl in the West Bank and continues to terrorize the Palestinians living there in order to colonize their land.
Israel is also the only country to unsupervised have nuclear weapons.
Hamas, meanwhile, has the right to resist same as all other resistance movements - American Colonist, Judea Revolts of 67AD and 132AD, Civil Rights movements, women’s suffrage, etc.
The true victims are the Palestinians living under a cruel onerous and abominable occupation according to Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter and the world.
Think about it!
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