Lettera di aggiornamento sulla situazione a Gaza da parte della Medical Relief, nostro partner – 21 novembre 2012
Tuesday November 21st, 2012 12:00 As the Israeli aggression on Gaza strip continues, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, President of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, arrived in Gaza on Tuesday November 20th, heading a medical team that came to support the work of medical and emergency services in Gaza. Dr. Barghouti and the accompanying delegate arrived through the Rafah crossing borders. During his visit to Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr. Barghouti said that “the work medical teams in Gaza are doing is heroic. They are the unknown soldiers of humanity. He added that the Palestinian Medical Relief Society and all its teams insist on carrying out their important role in Gaza and the West Bank”. So far, and after eight days of continued Israeli aggression, 139 people were killed including 34 children and more than 1200 people were injured including 381 children. We appreciate all solidarity actions and urge all of you to continue your support of our just cause. On behalf of PMRS Dr. Aed Yaghi Director -Gaza Strip Palestinian Medical Relief Society Tel: +97282835990/1/2 Fax: +97282827837 Mobile:+972599412048 Email: pmrs.gaza@gmail.com Mrcgaza@palnet.com
Lettera di aggiornamento sulla situazione a Gaza da parte della Medical Relief, nostro partner – 20 novembre 2012
November 20th , 2012, 12:00 · In a clear show of disregard to all international laws and conventions, Israeli warplanes bombed the Jordanian Field Hospital in Tel Alhawa area (Gaza city) with two missiles. The hospital, operated by Jordanian staff, has been providing health care services to Palestinian patients and injured since the previous war in 2009, sustained major damage. · We in the PMRS condemn the Israeli attack on the hospital as it shows that Israel is deliberately targeting health facilities especially since the location for this hospital is well known to them. · And in a related topic, a medical team of seventeen doctors from the West Bank, led by head of the Medical Syndicate there, arrived into Gaza. The team has a number of specialized doctors who are going to help the medical teams in Gaza provide services to the injured. · For the second day in a row, Abu Ta’ema Health Care Center in South Khan Younes still has no water, electricity, phone line or Internet connection. Below is a story from Gaza during the war Israel kills a child with disability Mahmoud Raed Sa’adallah, from Jabalia, four years of age, was killed on Friday November 16th when an Israeli missile hit him in front of his house. The missile that killed Mahmoud also killed another man, and injured five other people. Mahmoud was playing with a number of his neighbors when his mother called him to come inside. He refused, so his older brother carried him inside the house. Mahmoud left the house again and walked out to continue playing. At that point he was hit by a missile and was killed. Mahmoud suffered difficulty of movement and was part of PMRS Community Based Rehabilitation program and had received some assistance from PMRS. On behalf of PMRS Dr. Aed Yaghi Director -Gaza Strip Palestinian Medical Relief Society Tel: +97282835990/1/2 Fax: +97282827837 Mobile:+972599412048 Email: pmrs.gaza@gmail.com Mrcgaza@palnet.com
‘associazione Hanan, nostro partner a Gaza – 19 novembre 2012
Friends, comrades, brothers and kind people The people in Gaza are calling you among the sprawling corpses on the hospitals corridors The situation is crises, since the black Thursday 15.11.2012 the independence day of Palestine, at Shifa hospital there were mothers, fathers looking for children, looking for relatives. Everyone was confused and seeking support. Mothers were crying, people were asking about relatives, the medical team was confused. Some people were just lying there, some were screaming, some were very, very angry. There were a lot of injured arriving, ambulances coming in and out. The injured were coming by private cars and they were being left wherever. You could see blood here and there. There is talk [the Israeli air strikes] were targeting military persons well known to them but in Shifa hospital, you can see many, many civilians, some dead, some injured, some were children, some were women, some were elderly people. There are people without their legs in very severe pain. The doctors and nurses were trying to give them painkillers and to keep them alive. Patients are lying there knowing they’ve lost their legs. Some were asking God if they could die. They were in a terrible psychological state. This is one picture from the hospitals, if you go to streets you can see the destroyed houses everywhere, people crying on the streets, some of families are losing 2-5 of their kids, the sadness cover all the weather. OH God Gaza Strip which suffer from hard siege since 2007 are now under heavy shelling without any … Know it’s your time to support us whatever you can, kind word enough for alleviate the broken hearts of mothers and children. Hanan association children target group from the Middle area are appealing your kindness to stand beside them, they will never forget you’re removing of their tears. Hanan association Nuseirat Camp, Middle area Gaza Strip Tel-fax: +972-8-2554630 Mobile: +972-599-998920 or +972-599651452 www.hanancoo.com Email: hanan_nuseirat@hanancoo.org Hanan bank accounts details: Our USD Correspondent in New JPMorgan Chase Bank, New York Swift Code: CHASUS33 ABA No. 021000021 Bank of Palestine Ltd., Branch No. 448, Bank No. 89 Swift Code: PALSPS22 Beneficiary Name: Hanan for culture & social development association Beneficiary Account No. 332627
Lettera di aggiornamento sulla situazione a Gaza da parte della Medical Relief, nostro partner – 19 novembre 2012
Monday November 19th , 2012, 12:00 am For the sixth day in a row, Israel continues its assault on Palestinian civilians in Gaza Strip. So far more than 90 people were killed and 750 were injured, mostly women and children. Israeli attacks have mainly targeted innocent civilians, mainly women, children and elderly. Not only that, but the attacks have also targeted media personnel and medical staff. Early Monday morning, four first aid workers arriving at a bombed residential home in Beit Hanoun to provide medical aid to the injured were also attacked by an Israeli air raid. The paramedics were wounded and the ambulance sustained damage. PMRS’s Abu Taema primary health care center in South East Khan Younes, which has been providing medical care to the people and has been receiving people suffering from psychological shock, has also been affected due to the continuous bombardment, and just like the rest of the village, the clinic now has no electricity, no water, no Internet and no means of communication. And as the world prepares to celebrate Universal Children’s Day on Nov 20, Israel kills innocent children in Gaza. An Israeli attack on Aldalou family home on Sunday 18th Nov killed at least eleven members of the same family, including five children, and three women. Israeli air raids continue, and people who were waiting for the winter and expecting rain to fall from the sky are now taking shelter as it is raining missiles. On behalf of PMRS Dr. Aed Yaghi Director -Gaza Strip Palestinian Medical Relief Society Tel: +97282835990/1/2 Fax: +97282827837 Mobile:+972599412048 Email: pmrs.gaza@gmail.com Mrcgaza@palnet.com
Lettera di aggiornamento sulla situazione a Gaza da parte della Medical Relief, nostro partner – 18 novembre 2012,
Sunday November 18th, 2012; 12:00 am For the fifth day in a row, Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip continues. At least 52 people were killed, including 14 children, 3 women, and 3 elderly people, and 550 were injured, including 150 children. In a dangerous development, Israel bombed two buildings that have a number of media offices, local, Arab and international offices, injuring at least six journalists, one of them lost his leg due to the bombing. Also on Sunday, Israel bombed empty land that is adjacent to European Hospital, the biggest hospital in southern Gaza Strip. The bombing caused huge damage and destruction to the hospital. Earlier on Saturday morning (November 17th), a first aid worker attempting to provide medical help to a number of injured people in the city of Rafah, Awad Alnahhal, was killed when Israeli war planes bombed him as he tried to help the injured. We’d like to thank all those who are standing by our side and who organized solidarity activities in their countries. We call them to continue these activities and also invite them to come to Gaza to see the real situation on the ground. On behalf of PMRS Dr. Aed Yaghi Director -Gaza Strip Palestinian Medical Relief Society Tel: +97282835990/1/2 Fax: +97282827837 Mobile:+972599412048 Email: pmrs.gaza@gmail.com Mrcgaza@palnet.com
Lettera di aggiornamento sulla situazione a Gaza da parte della Medical Relief, nostro partner – 16 novembre 2012
Dear friends, Greetings from Gaza On behalf of the PMRS team, I’d like to thank all those who called or e-mailed us to show their support and solidarity with our people. Today is the third day of the Israeli offensive. So far ( until now) 24 people, including 8 children, 3 women’s were killed and 270 people including 148 women and children were injured. There is a direct hit to residential areas, and civilians are not safe in their homes. We will be sending you regular updates from Gaza. On behalf of PMRS Dr. Aed Yaghi Director -Gaza Strip Palestinian Medical Relief Society Tel: +97282835990/1/2 Fax: +97282827837 Mobile:+972599412048 Email: pmrs.gaza@gmail.com Mrcgaza@palnet.com
Apello della Medical Relief, nostro partner a Gaza – 15 novembre 2012
Dear Friends, For the 2nd day in a row, Gaza is under extensive Israeli military attacks. So far fifteen people were killed and more than 150 others were injured. Hospitals are already lacking essential emergency medications as they are receiving large numbers of injured people. This seems to be only the first stage of this military operation. We expect more escalation is yet to come, especially that the bombing is still ongoing and Israel threatens of sending more troops for land invasion. Your solidarity means a lot at this difficult time especially as things seem to be moving from bad to worse. Thus all efforts need to be put together in order to provide aid to victims. Please find the PMRS Appeals to the International Community on Behalf of the People of Gaza: PMRS Appeals to the International Community on Behalf of the People of Gaza In light of Israel’s recent large scale military bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) calls on international non-governmental institutions, as well as all levels of international civil society, to act immediately to pressure Israel to stop the aggression on the people of Gaza and to allocate aid assistance and disaster relief to the Strip’s 1.6 million people. The Gaza Strip, with a population of 1.6 million people, is known to be the most densely populated area in the world. With such a large number of people living so closely packed together, Israel’s pretext of targeted and “surgical strikes” on military targets alone are unachievable. “The situation is extremely difficult,“ says Abdil Hadi Abu Khousa, a PMRS Member of the Board. “Every five to ten minutes there is another airstrike. We don’t know where it will land or where it will come from. The usually bustling streets are completely empty.” The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported extreme shortages in more than 165 different types of medical supplies, a shortage similarly reflected in all of PMRS’ medical clinics throughout the Strip. “At the moment, the quantity of injuries is relatively manageable, however if they continue at this rate our hospitals will soon be over capacity,” says Dr. Ayid Yaghi, the Director of PMRS in Gaza. The capacity of international NGOs in general, and PMRS in particular, to react and respond to devastating humanitarian crises, such as the one in Gaza is currently experiencing shortage of funding which are at an all time annual low, stemming from a decrease in monetary contributions from international donors and budget cuts due to the global economic crisis, leaving emergency response activities at a severe disadvantage. Israeli military spokespersons have intimated that the past 24 hours of airstrikes represent just the beginning of a larger military operation, codenamed Pillar of Defense. “All options are on the table,” said Israel’s chief military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechaiand, while a simultaneous tweet from the Israeli Army Spokesperson said that, “If necessary, the Israeli Army is ready to initiate a ground operation in Gaza.” “If Israel’s operation is truly just the beginning of this offensive, the already delicate health and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip will undoubtedly deteriorate to dangerous levels” said Mahmoued Brigheth the Director General of PMRS. The depleted nature of the healthcare system in Gaza and the lacking capacity of international NGOs to aid in emergency relief further exacerbate the situation. Accordingly, PMRS calls on all international donors to allocate aid money and medical supplies to the important emergency work in Gaza Strip, as soon as possible. Dr. Aed Yaghi Director -Gaza Strip Palestinian Medical Relief Society Tel: +97282835990/1/2 Fax: +97282827837 Mobile:+972599412048 Email: pmrs.gaza@gmail.com Mrcgaza@palnet.com
Rapporto del viaggio a Gaza ottobre 2012
Relazione del viaggio a Gaza per visitare i bambini adottati da Gazzella (Ottobre 2012) Sono tornata a Roma dopo 3 settimane in Palestina, di cui più di 2 a Gaza e qualche giorno a Gerusalemme. Come al solito gli israeliani hanno fatto in modo di rendere difficile il viaggio in Palestina e a Gaza in particolare, cominciando già all’arrivo all’aeroporto a far domande sullo scopo della visita e a cercare di far cadere in contraddizione quando vengono a sapere che lo scopo del viaggio non è né la visita turistica di Israele né il pellegrinaggio in terra santa. Avevo deciso di partire il primo di ottobre ma l’entrata a Gaza da Erez era chiusa perché era una festa ebraica e quindi avevo rimandato la partenza al martedì 2 ottobre in cui l’entrata doveva essere possibile; invece per tutta la settimana l’entrata era possibile solo fino alle 13, sempre per la festività ebraica, ed io sono arrivata un’ora dopo. Pazienza, senza arrabbiarmi sono tornata a Gerusalemme, mi sono ripresentata a Erez il giorno dopo alle 8 e, dopo un interrogatorio neanche troppo approfondito sulle ragioni della mia missione, sono entrata attraverso il famoso tunnel lungo un chilometro costellato di porte di ferro e “docce” a raggi X sotto l’occhio vigile delle telecamere. Dal lato palestinese mi aspettava un altro interrogatorio ma molto più bonario da parte di una rappresentante del governo di Hamas. Una gentile ragazza ha aperto tutti i tubi che possedevo, dal dentifricio alla crema per le mani, e li ha odorati a uno a uno commentando positivamente. In realtà credo che ad Hamas interessi solo che non si portino bevande alcoliche nella striscia di Gaza. Mi ha fatto poi passare con un gran sorriso e augurandomi un felice soggiorno. Il tempo a Gaza era splendido, estivo ma con un bel venticello. In acqua si vedevano tutto il giorno ragazzi e bambini/e giocare allegramente. Il venerdì poi le spiagge erano affollate di famiglie numerose, spesso numerosissime e di gruppi di ragazzi o di ragazze; e, di molto meno numerosi gruppi misti. Si vedono anche ragazze e donne di tutte le età che fanno il bagno, per lo più madri che controllano i figli, con vestiti lunghi e neri. Mi chiedevano se a me non piaceva nuotare, e ho cercato di spiegar loro che il bagno così vestita proprio non mi invogliava perché sono abituata diversamente. E pensare che ancora 3-4 anni fa qui sulla spiaggia di Gaza ho fatto il bagno in costume, mentre adesso sembra che la cosa non sia mai stata possibile! A Gaza si continua a costruire e in molte zone i palazzi sono quasi addossati uno all’altro. Continuo a non capire chi li compra perché gli appartamenti sono molto cari e la povertà è visibile e anche aumentata rispetto al mio ultimo soggiorno meno di un anno fa. Alla domanda fatta alla gente più diversa, la risposta è sempre la stessa: li comprano quelli di Hamas che sono gli unici che hanno soldi. Non so se sia vero, ma certo la risposta è indicativa di quello che i cittadini di Gaza pensano adesso di Hamas. Molte persone di età diversa mi hanno detto di aver votato per Hamas per cui mai più avrebbero votato. Come in ogni situazione di guerra c’è chi si arricchisce e qui sicuramente ci sono dei nuovi ricchi che non devono essere neanche tanto pochi perché ho trovato dal nord al sud tanti nuovi supermercati dove c’è abbondanza di tutto e i prodotti sono quasi tutti israeliani. Secondo le persone a cui ho chiesto le merci arrivano regolarmente da Israele attraverso i valichi commerciali. Forse una parte dei prodotti arriva anche dall’Egitto attraverso i tunnel, ed è anche così che gli speculatori si arricchiscono. Tutto quello che esce dai tunnel viene tassato direttamente da esattori del governo locale già all’uscita del tunnel stesso. Rimangono anche i tanti negozietti poveri con i soliti prodotti palestinesi sfusi o in contenitori dall’aria usata che i negozianti incartano nei giornali vecchi. Bello e buono è sempre il pane fresco e di tanti tipi venduto dai fornai che lo sfornano in continuazione e ne vendono enormi quantità. Meravigliosi e buonissimi, data la stagione, erano i fichi e l’uva venduti dai carretti tirati da asinelli che si trovano un po’ dappertutto e che hanno un sapore che mi ero quasi dimenticata. La corrente elettrica è ancora erogata a turni alternati di 8 ore. La maggior parte dei palazzi e negozi, almeno nelle città, supplisce alla mancanza con rumorosissimi e puzzolenti generatori. Come al solito sono quindi i più poveri che non avendo il generatore soffrono maggiormente della situazione. Nel periodo in cui sono stata a Gaza ho sentito più volte, più spesso di notte, botti e boati vicini o lontani e il giorno dopo scoprivo che erano stati uccisi dagli israeliani con mezzi vari dei “terroristi” in modo mirato e intelligente magari con qualche danno collaterale e cioè il ferimento o l’uccisione di qualche passante, magari di uno o più bambini, e/o qualche asilo lesionato o distrutto nel silenzio dei media italiani e della Unione Europea “premio Nobel per la Pace”. Per esempio in uno di questi lanci di bombe o di missili, è stato quasi completamente distrutto un asilo per bambini beduini costruito dalla ONG italiana “Vento di terra” con soldi della cooperazione italiana. Non mi risulta che l’Italia abbia protestato ufficialmente con il governo israeliano. Lo scopo del viaggio era quello di andare a visitare i bambini feriti da armi da fuoco o handicappati o con qualche malattia grave adottati a distanza da Gazzella e portare alla mamma il contributo che aiuta loro e il resto della famiglia a vivere e a curarsi nella difficile situazione del paese. Non essendo possibile fare questo in maniera continuativa arrivando dall’Italia, lavoriamo con 3 associazioni locali che tengono i rapporti con le famiglie del bambino adottato e che quando un rappresentante di Gazzella riesce ad ottenere il permesso per entrare a Gaza, lo accompagnano e lo assistono.