Adopted by PRCS and 4 other humanitarian organizations

A comprehensive Emergency Plan to face the health and humanitarian consequences of the aggression on the Gaza Strip

Cairo- The Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS), PRCS, IFRC and its Standing Commission, ICRC and the Organization of Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies adopted today a comprehensive Emergency Plan to help face the health and humanitarian consequences of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

The Plan was adopted at a meeting held in Cairo on the 10th of January and attended by the Presidents of all five organizations: Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, Dr. Younis Al Khatib, Mr. Juan Manuel Del Toro, Ms Christine Beerli (Vice President of ICRC), Dr. Mohamad Al Hadid (Head of the Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent), and Mr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Hazza (Secretary General of the Organization of Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies).

The Plan covered aspects such as ensuring access of medical and humanitarian assistance from Egypt, Jordan, Arab and Foreign countries into the Gaza Strip, ensuring EMS assistance and transportation of the wounded to Palestinian hospitals, enabling seriously wounded patients to reach hospitals in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other Arab States, searching for missing persons, providing displaced persons with basic needs and protecting Palestinian ambulances and crews, as well as health institutions and their teams.

The Executive Committee of the Arab Organization of Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies had met in Cairo from 4 to 6 January 2009 to discuss means to support the efforts deployed by PRCS and ERCS in order to provide humanitarian services to victims of Israeli aggressions.

In the same vein, ERCS intensified its efforts aimed at providing humanitarian and medical assistance to victims in the Gaza Strip. The Society has and continues to coordinate its action with PRCS to ensure that this assistance reaches those in need, and that wounded Palestinians in need of further care are transported from Gaza hospitals to Egyptian and Arab hospitals through the Rafah Border Crossing.

PRCS had issued an Appeal targeting Palestinian and Arab citizens as well as Palestinian and Arab institutions in Palestine and Arab States, calling for cash donations to be made to PRCS Account in Palestine (Account Number 652753, Arab Bank, Ramallah/Al Balad) or to Account Number 756350 (at any Arab Bank branch in Egypt).