Operational Update (2)

Both PRCS operations rooms in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are operating around the clock to monitor the situation on the ground and manage the humanitarian services provided to the victims of the Israeli attacks.

Here is a summary of the PRCS activities:

•  Till this moment, 82 (35 children, 15 women, 13 elderly - of the total number of fatalities )of the 146 dead and 552 (184 women, 357 children, 78 elderly & a number of journalists-of the total number of casualties) of the 1178 wounded were evacuated, treated and transferred to hospitals by PRCS teams in all the governorates of the Gaza Strip.

•  PRCS hospitals are providing the best medical services to casualties due to the Israeli attack. Furthermore, since the start of the Israeli attack, it has been agreed with main governmental hospitals to refer all normal emergency cases (surgeries and internal medicine) to PRCS hospitals and centers in order to ease the load of governmental hospitals.

•  20/11/2012, the PRCS operations room in Gaza has started a medical hotline to give medical instructions to the injured individuals whom the PRCS can not reach on time because of the Israeli restrictions on their movement in certain areas in the Gaza Strip. For instance, the PRCS reached at 11:00 pm casualties in Juhr Al Deik area in the buffer zone (East to Al Braj camp) after 4 hours of coordination by the ICRC with the Israeli authorities. Even when PRCS 2 ambulances reached to evacuate the casualties, the area was shelled again without.

•  20/11/2012, The PRCS president, Dr. Younis Al Khatib, and PRCS Director General, Dr. Khaled Joudeh, arrived in the Gaza Strip to directly monitor the PRCS humanitarian services provided to the victims of the attacks.

•  20/11/2012, despite not being able to carry out the needs assessment of the displaced families due to the constant shelling of the Gaza Strip, the PRCS, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has started distributing plastic sheetings as urgent aid to families in Gaza whose houses were damaged due to the Israeli shelling.

•  20/11/2012, PRCS received a consignment of humanitarian aid (food, relief and medical items) from the Algerian people. The Algerian Ambassador in Egypt delivered the aid to Rafah crossing to Dr. Al Khatib and Dr. Joudeh. This is to be used in the relief operation distribution for the displaced families.

•  20/11/2012, PRCS Al Quds hospital has received 2 doctors (General Surgeon and Orthopedic Surgeon) from the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Ramallah to help treating the victims of attacks. These two doctors are part of a surge capacity deployed by MOH to Gazan hospitals.

•  20/11/2012, PRCS Al Amal hospital in Khan Younis has organized a blood donation campaign for 3 days in the Southern are of the Gaza Strip to contribute to secure blood provisions for the Gazan hospitals.

•  19/11/2012, The International Federation of the RCRC Societies(IFRC), in cooperation with the PRCS, allocated funds from the DREF to support the emergency operation provided by the PRCS to the victims. The funds will be used for the emergency medical services of PRCS (20.000 beneficiaries), medicines (5000 beneficiaries), and relief items (2000 beneficiaries).

The constant shelling of the Gaza Strip has resulted in minor damage in PRCS Gaza, Jabalya and Der Al Balah branches in addition to the EMS station and Al Quds hospital in Gaza city. Furthermore, 9 of PRCS staff sustained minor injuries due to shattered rubble, and two PRCS ambulances were partially damaged.

End.