Gaza Situation Updates 07/01/2009 till 08/09/2009

This report covers the period of 07/01/2009 (09:00am) till 08/01/2009 (09:00am)

For the 12th consecutive day of the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, PRCS is still at its highest level of alert in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

PRCS is deeply concerned over hampering the access of medical personnel and ambulances to casualties in the affected areas. Since more than five days, the PRCS is coordinating with the ICRC to enter those areas. Most of the coordination attempts were failed. This has led to the dying of wounded who left in the streets and under the ruins of the destructed homes.

This will have negative impacts on the health of the people and the environment, due to decomposition of the bodies. Moreover, many injuries and in several areas, such as Al Sifa, Al Zaytoon, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, Al Kashef and Al Rayyes mounts, Ezbet Abed Rabbo and the Bedouins area west of Erez, have no access to health care and even food. If the medical teams do not enter these areas soon, the life of those injured will be in danger.

The PRCS also concerned and condemn the targeting of civilians, including medical missions and the displaced shelters. Yesterday, the Israeli army ordered the Rafah residents to flee their homes ahead of Israeli bombardment. Hundreds of Palestinian families have fled their homes in the city of Rafah. The displaced Palestinians have taken refuge in UN installations in the area.

Yesterday, two PRCS medical personnel were injured by Israeli army gunfire in Zamo and Al Jarn areas, north of Gaza Strip.

At 13:30, a PRCS ambulance was dispatched to Zamo area near Jabaliya to transport injuries. One Israeli soldier opened fire at one of the PRCS medical personnel while he was providing first aid medications to one of the injuries. The medical personnel get injury by a live bullet in the leg and was transported to hospital for treatment.

In another incident, the Israeli soldiers opened fire at a PRCS ambulance, in Al Jurn area, north of Gaza Strip, at 08:00am, while attempting to transport injuries from the area. One PRCS medical personnel was injured in the leg and the ambulance was damaged.

Yesterday, three PRCS ambulances escorted by an ICRC vehicle entered Al Samouni area, south of Gaza city, to evacuate the injuries and death, after coordination was made by the ICRC with the Israeli authorities. The PRCS medical teams witnessed 22 deaths including 6 children and 7 women, in one of the houses. Moreover, 14 injuries were transported by PRCS ambulances from the area. It is worth mentioning that this coordination was succeeded after four days of several coordination attempts that all failed.

One of the PRCS volunteers who entered the area said "We faced difficulties in reaching the casualties. We had to walk for more than two Kilo meters to reach Al Samouni area. There is a huge damage in the infrastructure. Many houses were destroyed over its residents. Deaths are every where in the streets. In many cases we witnessed that the deaths were shot from close distances".

Yesterday, PRCS ambulances escorted by ICRC vehicles tried to enter several areas, to evacuate the injuries and death, after coordination was made by the ICRC with the Israeli authorities. Unfortunately, these attempts had to be aborted because of the on-going fighting.

Casualties

PRCS remains extremely concerned over the Israeli army excessive use of force which flagrantly violates the principle of proportionality. A large number of civilians wounded and killed as a result of the heavy Israeli air strikes and indiscriminate bombardments all over the Gaza strip.

During the past 24 hours, the PRCS ambulances and medical teams were dispatched to at least 35 locations, where Israeli army conducted air strikes, land and see bombardments. According to PRCS records, 12 deaths and 85 injuries, including children and women, were transported by PRCS ambulances and medical teams. 

Table of the total number of casualties:

Total number of deaths and injuries served by PRCS medical teams and ambulances:

Please note that the casualties' numbers above are not final since there any unknown number of casualties in areas that the medical teams could not enter till the moment.

Situation in Gaza hospitals:

Gaza Strip hospitals and medical premises have suffered severe shortages of medical supplies over the past 18 months' blockade and are not equipped enough to receive mass casualties. Hospital Operating Rooms are overflowing, and running out of essential medicines. Hospitals and other medical facilities are also understaffed and not able to respond to the load of injuries. Hospitals were being overwhelmed with patients and were running out of space and supplies.

Palestine Red Crescent Intervention:

According to the PRCS EMS stations records, approximately 1500 persons and 425 fatalities were transported by the PRCS ambulances since the beginning of the military operation.

Yesterday, PRCS sent 24 pallets of medicine to Gaza Strip thought the ICRC. 12 pallets entered and the rest are waiting the permit from the Israeli authorities to let it in.

PRCS dispatched three ICU ambulances at the Rafah border to assist the ministry of health in transporting the wounded cases to Egypt and other Arab countries.

Since the beginning of the Israeli offensive, around 200 PRCS volunteers, 60 medics and 120 medical staff were actively involved in providing emergency care in Gaza Strip.

PRCS' challenges:

PRCS evacuated some of its premises for safety reasons. Since six days, PRCS EMS station in Jabaliya has been evacuated for safety reasons.

Although the PRCS is doing coordination with the ICRC to allow the ambulances and the medical teams enter these locations to evacuate injuries and deaths, and to ensure their safety, PRCS ambulances and medical teams still have no access to the affected areas, which resulted in the death of several wounded.

PRCS faces a problem in the communication networks particularly in the northern part of Gaza Strip. In addition, PRCS EMS stations in Gaza faces the cut of telephone network, affecting the respond of the 101 to people's calls. An alternative line was organized, and the PRCS calls upon the people in Gaza city to contact the PRCS operations room in Gaza and PRCS Al Quds hospital if there is any emergency.

Urgent needs:

Medical Disposables and surgical kits
Medical First Aid Kits
Inter Agency Health Kits (WHO)
Hygiene and cleaning kits
Spare parts to the ambulances that received damage
Repair and restore the damages of the PRCS premises

Donate to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza:

PRCS launched Gaza emergency appeal 2009 that could be access through PRCS website www.palestinercs.og

Direct donations could be done through Palestine red crescent special account number 9090- 652753/513 - Arab Bank - Ramallah Al Balad Branch, Swift No. ARABPS 22090 - Correspondent Bank: CREDIT SUISSE
(HEAD OFFICE) - ZURICH CH - SWIFT CODE: CRESCHZZ80A
OUR USD ACC. # 0835080431314780
THROUGH: AMERICAN EXPRESS
SWIFT CODE: AEIBUS33 - ROUTING # 026001591



Or

Donate online through special account at Map Canada

You can donate on line by clicking on the link http://www.mapcan.org/english.html and click on ‘’donations’’, then select the button donate now of ‘’Canadahelps’’

Select ‘’Medical aid for Palestine’’, then ‘’ Emergency Campaign for Gaza’’for the fund designation and finally write for PRCS in the note section