January 21 Gaza Update from Department of Service for Palestinian Refugees (DSPR)

Mr. Constantine Dabbagh, Director of DSPR-NECC Gaza is back to the office in Gaza City. His first impressions of what he saw were that people he met looked weary and exhausted and that the destruction, both human and material, was extensive as thousands of families are digging up and mourning or attending to those killed and injured of their members.

Mr. Constantine Dabbagh, Director of DSPR-NECC Gaza is back to the office in Gaza City. His first impressions of what he saw were that people he met looked weary and exhausted and that the destruction, both human and material, was extensive as thousands of families are digging up and mourning or attending to those killed and injured of their members. 
 
Active search for a building to be rented immediately in the Shija’ia neighborhood in order to start up with the work of the destroyed clinic there. We will keep you informed on this process. 
 
The DSPR – NECC Board Members and Staff are meeting in order to assess the immediate needs of all kinds. The list will be forwarded to Central Office in Jerusalem for procurement and transport. Meanwhile, Central Office in Jerusalem is working out the logistics of the water supply and transport from Jericho to Gaza. We expect that by early next week the shipment of 100,000 bottles of Jericho water will be on its way. Mr. Dabbagh informs us that the baby milk sent by DanChurchAid has to have bottle water and that the saline water of Gaza would not do. Thus water is a primary necessity.  
 
The staff and employees of the Vocational Training Centers are on their jobs today in preparation for opening up the Centers. Parents of trainees will be invited to consult with DSPR – NECC Gaza on the reopening and to exchange with them on the effects of the war on their families and their overall needs and concerns. 
 
On the Psycho-Social intervention, meetings have been ongoing with Gaza Mental Health Community Program for assessment, training and intervention strategies in various parts of the Gaza Strip. DSPR – NECC Gaza would continue coordination with GMHCP in order to crystallize our role in the psycho-social intervention and to proceed in setting up our team of intervention.
 
Cash is a serious problem in Gaza as banks have not been able to provide but a small percentage of cash asked. DSPR – NECC Gaza has started the process together with civil society organizations of preparing lists of the neediest families in need of cash. This process will take a week and it is hoped that by this time, enough cash would be found in the banks. DSPR Central Office is looking into ways of providing cash to our colleagues in Gaza but it is hoped that this would not be needed if banks can manage to bring cash in. 
 
DSPR – NECC Gaza is looking into renting land across from its offices in Gaza city in order to use it for warehousing. This would help us reduce costs of warehousing for water and other supplies that need space. 
 
Palestinian NGOs, PNGOs, are calling for a coordination meeting soon in order to work out post-war emergeny efforts and to map up the details and division of labor among the various NGOs, including DSPR-NECC Gaza.
 
Our staff are fine, thanks to the Almighty. At least four of our staff members have had their homes seriously damaged because of the air strikes that hit buildings and homes next to theirs. Our staff members are still assessing the damage as they join thousands of other Gazans left without a roof over their heads.