Health situation in OPT – WHO information highlights 19 – 25 May 2008 (excerpts)

Health Action in Crises: Highlights No. 209 – 19 to 25 May 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.

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OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

Assessments and Events

• In Gaza, lack of fuel continues to affect all aspects of life. Lack of drinking water, poor maintenance of the sewage network as well as poor disposal of waste all threaten to cause widespread environmental and health problems.

• As a result of the current fuel crisis, MoH hospitals report a daily average of eight hours of power outage. The majority are also reporting a drop of around one third of the daily out-patients-departments attendance as compared to the daily average number of visits before this crisis.

Actions

• WHO continues to support the procurement and transport of drugs and supplies under the Pharmaceuticals Supply and Management System project support by the CERF, Spain and ECHO.

• UN agencies are working together on contingency plans. Health partners are concerned with maintaining access to MoH health facilities. In Gaza, WHO is involving local and international NGOs in the sector response plan.

• WHO participated in the monthly meeting of the contingency plan task force group in the West Bank to review the response plan and agree on future steps.

• Recent WHO’s emergency activities have been supported by ECHO, Italy, Norway, OCHA/Spain and the CERF.

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