Gaza Strip : OCHA Situation Report (28 June – 5 July 2007)

GAZA HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT

28 June – 5 July 2007

SUMMARY POINTS

1. Humanitarian imports into Gaza between 25 June – 1 July through Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni have met 70% of the minimum food needs of the Gazan population. This is a significant increase from the prior week, where only 21% of the food needs were met.1

2. Rafah crossing remains closed for 25 days. Erez opened for the first time on 4 July for Palestinian traders and currency transfers into Gaza. Karni was opened for the import of grain for five days during the reporting period.

3. The UN estimates that 900 truckloads per week must enter Gaza to meet basic needs: 625 truckloads for essential food and medical items, 275 trucks for “other essentials” provided through commercial operators such as hygiene products, household sanitary items, detergents and other basic consumables.

4. On the basis of market surveys conducted by WFP over the last week, Nido milk powder, baby milk and vegetable oil were found to be in short supply, particularly in northern Gaza and Gaza City.

5. Estimates of up to 75% of Gazan factories closed or operated at less than 20% capacity due to the closures.

6. There has been an increase in Israeli- Palestinian conflict related activity and casualties: 14 Palestinian deaths and 33 injuries from Israeli military operations; one Israeli injured from Qassam rockets, two IDF soldiers injured.

7. BBC Gaza correspondent, Alan Johnston was released on 4 July after 114 days of captivity.

8. Concerns are growing for an estimated 6,000 Palestinians from Gaza who cannot return to Gaza as a result of the closure of the Rafah crossing. A UN interagency mission was dispatched to Cairo to assess the situation.

ACCESS AND CROSSINGS

Import of Humanitarian Assistance:

Between 28 June and 4 July, humanitarian assistance and some commercial commodities entered daily (except for the Israeli weekend) into Gaza via Kerem Shalom, Sufa and Karni crossings.

Kerem Shalom: The UN, PA and Israel are working together to increase the capacity of the crossing by opening two conveyer belts and increasing the hard stand area for truck-transfer operations. This could increase Kerem Shalom’s capacity to a potential 150 trucks/day. On 5 July, Kerem Shalom opened sporadically due to the firing of Qassam rockets near the crossing.
Sufa remains the main crossing point for humanitarian supplies with up to 106 truckloads transferring goods on 2 July. The number of truckloads bringing in supplies through the Kerem Shalom crossing has not exceeded 20. However, the lack of any security infrastructure on the Palestinian side of Sufa is a concern for UNRWA and is jeopardizing the speed and UNRWA’s ability to bring in large quantities of necessary goods.

Karni crossing partially reopened on 28 -29 June and 2-4 July to allow the transfer of grain from Israel to Gaza’s flour mills. A conveyer belt was opened during the last week, which has the capacity to ship hundreds of tons/day of bulk items. On 3 July a total of 1,600 tons of grain entered via the grain chutes at Karni crossing. The partial reopening of Karni is for grain supplies and no other produce has crossed into Gaza via this route in the five days that is has been open.

Erez crossing reopened on 4 July for the movement of senior Palestinian traders into Israel for the first time since 13 June. Up to 400 traders were crossing daily prior to the closure and this was a regular source of income to the economy of the Gaza Strip. Erez crossing continues to remain open for international agencies and health cases referrals to Israel. Coordination is required with the Israeli DCL for those national and international staff departing Gaza. Also at Erez, cash supplies were transferred into Gaza to support payment of salaries of Gazan public servants.

Rafah crossing has been closed since 10 June. There are serious concerns regarding patients in Gaza who require regular access to Egypt and other countries for treatment.

The British health NGO, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP-UK) deployed an assessment team to Al Arish and the Egyptian-Rafah border between 30 June and 2 July. MAP-UK reported between 400 and 700 people taking shelter under a group of trees 300 metres from the border crossing. These people are not receiving any institutional assistance and rely entirely on the generosity of local Bedouins to allow them to sleep in their homes and to provide meals and washing facilities.

According to the northern Sinai authority, at least 6,000 Palestinians are stranded in Al Arish and Sheik Zouied, while many others are believed to be in Cairo. The Egyptian authorities are physically preventing the movement of Palestinians down to the border. 48 Palestinian patients waiting to enter Gaza are hospitalized in Al Arish hospital and must pay for their food and medication.

The UN is working with the UN country team in Egypt to deliver assistance to those stranded.

Nahal Oz: The fuel pipelines have been open each day except Saturday supplying diesel, petrol and cooking gas into the Gaza Strip.

INTERNAL FOOD AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY

WFP in its latest Food Security and Market Monitoring Report states that the humanitarian imports into Gaza between 25 June and 1 July have met 70% of the weekly consumption rate in Gaza.

Daily Gazan Consumption Rates/Current Import and Supply Levels (Metric Tons)

Source: WFP Food Security and Market Monitoring Report

In the course of the last week UNRWA brought in 187 tons of whole milk powder via Sufa crossing. Existing supplies had run out and replenishment stocks were urgently required.

Between 28 June and 3 July, the three Gaza mills supplying UNRWA with flour, imported 3,240 tonnes of wheat. UNRWA receives its daily distribution requirement of approximately 304 tonnes of flour from these three mills.

Prices rises have been noted for vegetables and agricultural produce. A WFP market survey has found steep price increases for lemons ( 55%), cucumbers (13%) and potatoes (67%). Part of this increase can be attributed to the end of the agricultural season. The current price of a 50kg bag of wheat is 14% higher compared to the average wheat price in 2006.

The closure on Gazan exports has caused a decrease of prices on the local market. There is an excessive supply of tomatoes, watermelon, melon and local apples. While this has deflated prices to the benefit of the consumer, it has denied Gaza farmers a source of income.

HEALTH

Medicines, medical consumables and laboratory materials, along with a pallet of insulin vials, were shipped into Gaza by the World Health Organisation (WHO) via Kerem Shalom on 3 July. These items are part of WHO’s regular supply of drugs and materials to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. On 28 June, other medical supplies were coordinated through Erez crossing on behalf of AN ERA and a USAID funded project.

On 1 July, 9333 vials of Tuberculin, DTP and Measles vaccines were brought through Erez crossing on behalf of UNICEF.

CARE International announced on 4 July that with funding from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it will launch an emergency distribution of medicines to the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s central warehouses in Ramallah and Gaza. These medicines will then be distributed to 12 General Hospitals and to central primary health care clinics over all

the occupied Palestinian territory. The medicines will allow for the treatment of critical diseases such as cancer, diabetes, intoxications, viral infections and heart problems. Approximately 50,000 Palestinians living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip will benefit from the procured medications.

Up until 1 July, ICRC had coordinated the passage of 137 patients from Gaza for hospital treatment in Israel and the West Bank. 48 patients were moved across Erez in ambulances while the remaining 89 were able to cross on foot.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Gaza Power Plant: Emergency maintenance is required for at least two of the turbines at the Gaza Power Plant that have exceeded their 22,000 working hours limit. The servicing needs to take place in the next six weeks by an on-site Swedish technical team or else the plant will shut down leaving a deficit of at least 60 MW, result in immediate power cuts throughout the Gaza Strip and impact household water supply.

Water and Sanitation: Additional stocks of hypochlorite were received on 1 and 2 July when a combined total of 41,000 litres entered Gaza in response to earlier concerns by the Gaza Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) of imminent shortages of chlorine supplies.

PRIVATE SECTOR

According to the Israeli NGO GISHA, the Gazan industrial sector is under severe stress due to the inability to import raw materials for the last three weeks as well as the continuing inability to export final products. GISHA estimates that over 2,900 factories, out of a total of 3,900 have shut down or operating at less than 20% capacity and approximately 30,000 factory workers face losing their jobs. Factory workers constitute 10% of those working in Gaza and support approximately 210,000 dependents.

The Palestinian Federation of Industries comprising senior business interests in Gaza estimates a daily loss of at least half a million $ a day to the industrial sector as a result of the closure at Karni crossing. This does not include losses in the retail sector.

More than 1,300 containers of different commercial materials destined for Gaza are stuck at the Israeli ports due to the cancellation of the Gaza customs code by the Israeli Customs Authority. Humanitarian cargo has been exempted.

PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS

Internal Palestinian:

A peaceful demonstration took place on 5 July in Gaza City of approximately 2,000 residents demanding coordination between Hamas and Fatah to work towards alleviating the current difficult situation.

There were tensions in Gaza city on 5 July, as some PA workers were blocked from entering their offices by Hamas Executive Security Force (ESF) forces enforcing the Thursday-Friday weekend, in opposition to PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ decree last week changing the weekend to Friday –Saturday.

The PA in Ramallah has paid salaries to civil servants in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on the basis of a December 2005 payroll. There are concerns over tensions among an estimated 20,000-3 1,000 civil servants hired after December 2005 who did not receive their salaries, pending a review of their employment status by the Ministry of Finance.

UNRWA’s Summer Learning and Summer Games were interrupted on 3 July in three locations ( Zaitoun Prep Girls, Zaitoun Elementary A&B, and Falah Prep Boys – total 1781 students affected) due to an internal dispute. One 13 year old student was hit by a stray bullet in her hand.

Palestinian –Israeli conflict related:

IDF ground troops entered Breij Refugee Camp on 5 July. The operation remains ongoing. Seven Palestinians have been killed and at least 19 injured. Two IDF soldiers were injured. UNRWA’s Summer Learning and Summer Games were halted at the UNRWA Breij schools as a result of the incursions.

IDF entered southeast Beit Hanoun on the evening of 4 July. Armed clashes in the area resulted in two Palestinian injuries. Additional IDF armoured vehicles entered the area on 5 July and remain there.

Three air-to-ground attacks by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) against Palestinian targets occurred during the reporting period resulting in seven Palestinian deaths and 12 injuries.

28 Qassam rockets and 27 mortars have been fired from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants towards Israel. On 30 June, Israeli media reported one Israeli lightly wounded in Sderot and damages to one home and two other buildings. These figures include four Qassam rockets and seven mortars fired by Palestinian militants between 4-5 July towards Kerem Shalom crossing in four separate incidents.

United Nations – Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

occupied Palestinian territory

P.O. Box 38712 East Jerusalem

Phone: (972) 2 – 5829962 / 5825853, Fax: (972) 2 – 5825841 Email: ochaopt@un.org, www.ochaopt.org