The Palestinian Medical Relief Society and Physicians for Human Rights - Israel Call for a solidarity gathering with the people from Gaza

Monday the 24th of November at 10 AM in Al Menara
“Access to healthcare for all – solidarity with the Gazans”
’’Staying silent is being complicit. Speak out!’’

During the past week, The Gaza Strip has been -harsher than usually- cut off from the rest of the world and its residents deprived from their most basic rights. For a week, the entry points of the Strip have been closed, isolating Gaza from heath care access, electricity and fuel supplies and humanitarian assistance.

The Israeli siege that has started in 2006 has already lead to the death of 260 patients as Gaza Strip hospitals ran out of medical supplies while Israel barred the patients from leaving the area for medical treatment abroad.

Join PMRS and Physicians for Human Right – Israel
For a solidarity gathering with people from Gaza tomorrow
(Monday, the 24th of November)
at 10.00 AM in Al Menara

“Access to Healthcare for all – solidarity with the Gazans”
Staying silent is being complicit. Speak!

Background

Since 2006, 1.5 million of Gazan citizens are facing a serious humanitarian crisis, when the western donors cut their financial help to the people. Since 2006, PMRS has intensified its emergency activities in the Gaza Strip in response to the overwhelming need for primary and emergency healthcare services.

Prolonged border closures and the fuel and electricity cuts are having a direct and very negative effect on primary, emergency and specialised healthcare services. Stocks of medicines are depleted or exhausted, fragile equipment needs repairs and spare parts, and electricity cuts prevent the reliable operation of life-saving equipment (incubators, dialysis machines, etc). Medicine shortages in Gaza reached a very critical level as 160 types of medicines are not found in the Gaza Strip and additional 130 types will run out soon. At least 90 medical equipments, including 31 dialysis machines, are out of order as they need parts not found in Gaza.

Many specialised and life-saving medical treatments are unavailable in the Strip. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer patients, paediatric surgery and neurosurgery are only available in Israel and abroad.

Without food, access to medicine, health care, policies of closures, shortage and restrictions of movement -as practiced strongly since 2006- Gaza’s population is the victim of Israeli collective punishment, forbidden by both humanitarian and human rights law standards.

Access to quality health infrastructures is a universal right recognized by every standard of law. The PMRS has dedicated its work to improve the physical, mental and social well being of all Palestinians -both from Gaza and The West Bank- despite occupation policies and attempts by the Israeli government to destroy the Palestinian health infrastructures.

More Information? 0599 – 94 00 73