UN RWA Director, John Ging, Demands Israel to End Gaza Siege and Open Border Crossings

UNRWA: Despite the calm, Israel did not open the crossings properly

[ 13/07/2008 - 09:29 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

John Ging, the director of UNRWA relief operations in Gaza, stated Saturday that despite the Palestinian side's commitment to the truce and its cessation of rocket attacks on Israeli targets, Israel did not open the crossings properly in the way needed by the Gaza people, adding that the humanitarian situation is getting worse.

"The situation in Gaza is still frustrating to the people, we have a truce; this is good and there is a cessation of rocket firing; this is also good, but Israel has not yet opened the crossings to the extent that we hoped for, so Gaza residents are still suffering here," Ging told the Ramattan news agency.

The UN official underlined that last October when there were rocket attacks, fuel quantities allowed in Gaza were more than now.

The UN official urged the Gaza people to raise their voices to lift the Israeli siege and to demand their human rights, stressing that the UNRWA would continue its support for the Palestinians despite the difficulties it faces and would stand by them in time of adversity.

The UN official also expressed his strong belief that there would be beautiful days for the Palestinians and their state of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital would be established, but he added that the Palestinians have to overcome the difficulties to achieve that.

For her part, Katharina Ritz, the head of the Red Cross mission in occupied Jerusalem, said that Palestinian shepherds lack increasingly necessary pastures for their livestock; besides, the lands they reach suffer from overgrazing and recurrent droughts.

Ritz pointed out that what aggravates the suffering of those shepherds is the Israeli restrictions on freedom of movement as well as the Israeli settlement outposts, bypasses and the military areas which were established on Palestinian lands and prevent them from getting access to grazing areas and water.

The Red Cross official added that this situation forced many affected shepherds to reduce the number of their livestock for their inability to find enough fodder and water for their animals, noting that life also became more difficult because of animal health problems and price hikes of animal feed.

UNWRA: stop the siege open the borders

Date: 13 / 07 / 2008 Time: 19:37
Gaza - Ma'an -

According to UNRWA Director General of operations in the Gaza Strip John Ging, Palestinians are not being served adequately by Israeli crossings despite halting projectile attacks.

Conditions, according to Ging, are getting worse and Palestinians in Gaza are suffering.

In an UNRWA statement released today Ging said that the missing element for the truce in Gaza is the fact that "the crossings have not opened to the extent that Palestinians in Gaza need."

He expressed his hope for the crossings to be opened as quickly as possible to allow in “not only food and medicine, but also other needed supplies."

Ging has also expressed frustration: "when projectiles were launched from Gaza into Israel last October (four months into the tightened siege), oil deliveries to the Gaza Strip were higher than they are today.”

Palestinians, he said in his Sunday release, have not been able to realize their human rights. He added that UNRWA will continue its support as best it can, and encouraged Palestinians to demand their human rights and the end of the blockade. When the blockade is over, he said, Palestinians in Gaza will no longer need food supplies delivered in aid trucks, but will be able to furnish them on their own.

"UNWRA wants justice for Palestinians" he concluded, "and when it is achieved everything is achieved.”

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