Health Inforum News
Volume 1, No.16, 1 December 2002
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Welcome to the sixteenth edition of the Health Inforum Newsletter. In our ongoing efforts to provide useful information to the whole of the health community, we continue to welcome any comments or suggestions you might have to help us improve this newsletter.
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This newsletter discusses the following items:
1. Aids Epidemic Update/Middle East & North Africa/
2. MOH – AIDS/HIV Surveillance Report
3. Health In Field
4. Health In News
5. Requests
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· Health In News
Palestine Red Crescent Society
Weekly Summary Press Release
16-23 November 2002
PRCS teams and ambulances experienced a number of violations by the Israeli army during the period 16-23 November 2002. These included blocking, firing and attacking ambulances, lengthy and abusive searches threatening and verbally assaulting medical teams as well as confiscating the Identity Cards of volunteer EMTs in Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilya, Nablus, Hebron, Gaza and Khan Younis.
–16 November 2002: Jenin (04:00 p.m.) – Israeli soldiers stopped an ambulance while en route from Jenin, belonging to the emergency center of Al Bireh, next to Shafi Shamron settlement. The Israeli soldiers ordered Mohammed Awad (a medic) out. Handcuffed, Mohammed was subjected to 5 hours of detention by Israeli soldiers. The excuse provided by Israeli soldiers is that Mohammed is wanted for traffic ticket. The ambulance was vandalized during a very aggressive search.
–17 November 2002: Nablus (06:30 p.m.) – Israeli soldiers positioned at Qoussin checkpoint blocked an ambulance (from Tulkarem emergency center) transporting 3 patients who sustained injuries from a car accident in Beit Lid. The ambulance was stopped for 2 hours and searched. Israeli soldiers forced the crew out, threatening them at gunpoint, and ordered them to lay on the road while the patients continued to bleed.
-17 November 2002: Qalqilya (08:00 p.m.) – A PRCS ambulance, en route to transport a patient suffering respiratory problems to Tulkarem hospital, was blocked by Israeli soldiers at Beit Iba checkpoint for 20minutes. Israeli soldiers searched the ambulance. While back to Qalqilya, the same ambulance was again stopped by the same soldiers for 40 minutes.
–17 November 2002: Nablus (06:00 a.m.) – Israeli soldiers positioned at Einabouss checkpoint stopped a PRCS ambulance, searched it and confiscated the ID Card of a volunteer named Firas Khalili, claiming the ID Card is fake.
-17 November 2002: Nablus (01:30 p.m.) – An Israeli army jeep obstructed a PRCS ambulance in Al Quds Street while returning from a routine call to transport a patient to Al Watani Hospital in Nablus. Israeli soldiers forced the crew out of the ambulance, threatening them with their guns and verbally assaulted them for 20 minutes.
–17 November 2002: Hebron (09:00 a.m.) – Israeli soldiers stopped 3 PRCS ambulances from Hebron, Ras Jaoura and Jisr Halhoul stations for 1 hour and 1 hour and 20 minutes respectively.
-17 November 2002: Gaza (11:00 p.m.) – A PRCS ambulance came under Israeli tank fire while attempting to rescue an injured person in the Beach region. The ambulance was prohibited from continuing its mission until the Israeli tank left.
-17 November 2002: Gaza (11:00 p.m.) – Israeli tanks invaded Tal El Hawa region and fired on a PRCS ambulance stationed at Al Quds Hospital. The ambulance sustained damage. As a result of heavy Israeli gunfire in the region, PRCS ambulances were not able to move and treat the injured.
–20 November 2002: Khan Younis (11:30 p.m.) – Israeli soldiers invaded Abssan region, prohibited PRCS ambulances from movement and fired at them. One PRCS ambulance sustained damage and 3 medics were injured: Ahmad Jasser was hit with live ammunition in his left leg and waist, Salem Ahmad and Imad Abu Jamous suffered shock. PRCS ambulances remained paralyzed until the Israeli army pulled out from the region at 4:30 a.m.
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· Requests
The following schedule has been requested for December/January distribution. Please advise Health Inforum if your organization can assist with distribution needs, please email who.info@undp.org Thank you.
Destination |
Trucks Needed |
Trucks Delivered |
Delivery Date |
Facilitator |
Nablus |
6 |
December |
tbc |
|
Tulkarem |
2 |
December |
tbc |
|
Jenin |
3 |
December |
tbc |
|
Bethlehem |
3 |
December |
tbc |
|
Jericho |
2 |
December |
tbc |
|
Salfit |
1 |
December |
tbc |
|
Qalqilya |
1 |
December |
tbc |
|
Jerusalem |
1 |
December |
tbc |
|
Hebron |
4 |
December |
tbc |
|
Total |
23 |
Health Inforum would like to thank all those organizations and individuals that have continued to support and help towards distribution needs.
the Italian Cooperation, World Food Program (WFP), United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
For more information refer to Health Inforum Web Portal http://hart.itcoop-jer.org
WEBSITE:
Health Inforum posts daily news and announcements concerning health issues on our website: Http://hart.itcoop-jer.org. We welcome your inputs, comments and suggestions.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please feel free to contact us for information at:
Health Inforum, c/o the Italian Cooperation
Sheik Jarrah, East Jerusalem
Tel: 02 532 7447 Fax: 02 532 2904
Email: healthinforum@undp.org Http:// hart.itcoop-jer.org
Document Sources: World Health Organization (WHO)
Subject: Health, Humanitarian relief, Incidents, Palestine question
Publication Date: 01/12/2002