Health Action in Crises: Highlights No. 197 – 25 February to 2 March 2008
Each week, the World Health Organization Department for Health Action in Crises in Geneva produces information highlights on the health aspects of selected humanitarian crises. Drawing on the various WHO programmes, contributions cover activities from field and country offices and the support provided by WHO regional offices and Headquarters. The mandate of the WHO Departments specifically concerned with Emergency and Humanitarian Action in Crises is to increase the effectiveness of the WHO contribution to crisis preparedness and response, transition and recovery. This note, which is not exhaustive, is designed for internal use and does not reflect any official position of the WHO Secretariat.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Assessments and Events
• Several health facilities have been damaged by air strikes last week, including the main office of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, a mobile clinic unit and an ophthalmology clinic in Nablus. Medical supplies were also lost.
• The continued lack of fuel is affecting the functioning of ambulances at the MoH, the Palestine Red Crescent Society and still functioning hospitals.
• According to the Coastal Municipalities Water Utilities, fuel and electricity shortages are impeding the supply of drinking water for about half a million of Gaza’s residents. The company also continues to discharge daily 40 000 m3 of untreated and partially treated waste waters in the open sea.
Actions
• WHO delivered drugs and disposables to Gaza and supported the transport of MoH and UNFPA supplies into Gaza.
• The development of the PAL-SEM tool (Palestinian Socio-Economic Monitoring tool), in coordination with FAO, UNICEF, and WFP is ongoing.
• The December-January edition of Bridges is being distributed. This edition of the Israeli-Palestinian public health magazine is dedicated to Research for Health, and contains a special interview with Bernard Kouchner, co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières, on humanitarian aid and a special focus on the situation in the Gaza Strip during the last weeks of January.
• In 2007, WHO’s emergency activities were supported by ECHO, Italy, Norway, OCHA/Spain, and the CERF.
