PHA-Exchange> International intervention needed: humanitarian crisis

[Aviva]

From: "Palestine Monitor" <palmon at hdip.org>

> Urgent Appeal
> August 5, 2002
>
>
> The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is rapidly
developing
> into a complete humanitarian crisis created by the Israeli occupation. The
> isolation of Palestinian towns and villages has created a pressing
shortage
> of food and basic supplies threatening the health and even lives of the
> Palestinian population. The city of Nablus is the most telling example of
> this dangerous development. For 17 consecutive days the city has been
under
> 24 hour strict curfew: the entire population of the city has been locked
up
> inside their houses unable to ensure sufficient food and other necessary
> supplies for their families. The situation is most severe in the Old City
of
> Nablus which has been under siege for three days. There is extensive
damage
> to infrastructure and Israeli troops have cut the water supply to the Old
> City. Currently 30,000 people living inside the Old City are threatened by
> the ongoing military operation in the area.
>
> Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi appealed to all humanitarian organisations: "Sharon
> has created a situation of slow death for the Palestinian population. The
> Israeli tactics of isolating communities in the West Bank and denying
basic
> food to people, create a situation that is particularly threatening to
> children, the elderly and pregnant women. In Nablus, the Palestinian
Medical
> Relief has broken the curfew in the Old City in order to provide medical
> care and distribute basic food supplies and milk to the besieged
population.
> However, the movement of ambulances is hindered by Israeli troops and we
are
> running out of supplies. There is a pressing need for help and support."
> We appeal for you to write to international humanitarian organisations to
> provide urgent help and assistance to the Palestinian people and in
> particular to UN agencies demanding the declaration of the Occupied
> Palestinian Territories as a humanitarian disaster area. We also appeal
for
> you to write to the following people demanding an immediate halt to the
> Israeli aggression and to end the siege of the Occupied Palestinian
> Territories.
>
> Write to:
>
> Israeli Prime Minister
> Ariel Sharon
> rohm at pmo.gov.il
> or
> webmaster at pmo.gov.il
>
> Israeli Defence Minister
> Ben Eliezer
> sgansar at mod.gov.il
> or
>
> write to them at:
>
> Office of the Prime Minister
> 3 Kaplan Street, PO Box 187
> Kiryat Ben-Gurion
> Jerusalem 91919
> Fax: +972 2 651 2631