| Not that this would motivate the Paleos to start behaving like humans ... |
GENEVA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday that virtually no medical supplies were reaching Gaza, putting the lives of several hundred seriously ill patients at stake. It blamed a “standstill in cooperation” between Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and the Hamas-controlled strip for imports of medical supplies having slowed to a “trickle” in recent weeks, aggravating an already critical situation.
“The ICRC calls on the Palestinian health authorities both in Ramallah and Gaza to take urgent measures to ensure that suitable medical supplies are available in Gaza in sufficient quantity,” it said in a statement.
| They'd have to divert the money meant for the Widows Ammunition Fund, and you know that isn't going to happen ... |
Treatment for several hundred seriously ill patients had been disrupted, according to the neutral humanitarian agency. A two-month strike of Palestinian health workers in Gaza is also preventing hospitals from offering adequate care, it said. Surgical operations have fallen by 40 percent while admissions were down 20 percent. Only 300 seriously ill patients were referred to hospitals in Israel, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Jordan for specialised treatment in September, about half the average recorded in previous months, it said.
”Those affected include cancer and cardiac patients, who will suffer from a gradual deterioration of their condition if they do not receive the necessary medical attention outside Gaza,” it said.
The ICRC also called on Israeli authorities to facilitate timely deliveries of medical supplies and equipment to Gaza. Health issues should not be politicised. Pragmatic solutions need to be found because many lives are at stake,” said Katharina Ritz, head of the ICRC’s Jerusalem-based mission for the Palestinian territories. |