Update from Department of Services to Palestinian Refugees (DSPR), Middle East Council of Churches

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

The situation in Gaza remains to be difficult and dangerous. Our contacts on the ground convey that there has been no electricity for over a week and as a result the water pumps that are used to pump water into households are not functioning and the sewage networks are flooding. In talks with Dr. Suhail Madbak, who is the dean of the medical school at Al Azhar University in Gaza and a member of the Board of DSPR Gaza, the top priority is the restoration of electricity to the deprived areas. There are apparent efforts by some foreign contractors to work on the damaged cables under the supervision of the Israeli military. It is expected that some areas will be receiving electricity in the next 48 hours. The bombardment of Gaza is widespread as the Israeli army has divided the Strip into four different military zones with movement virtually impossible and the local residents are feeling unsafe about leaving their homes. Reports are coming in of ambulances and medics being targeted by the Israeli soldiers, especially while trying to tend to the wounded in the streets where the heaviest confrontations are taking place. In some instances, Israeli infantry have broken into several homes and have forced the residents to gather in one room on the bottom floor, while taking positions on the second floor and making holes in the walls for sniper rifles and binoculars. The resting time for the Gaza residents is from 13:00 – 16:00, which is the three hour time period when attacks are halted. People are using this time of quiet to shop for food and water, although queues are extremely long reaching up to 400 meters particularly at bakeries, and there is a shortage in necessities such as wheat and flour. Many of the people are using this period to sleep as it is the only time of the day when there is no sounds of bombardment or shelling. According to our contacts, when an Israeli strike hits a particular target, all the adjacent buildings shake and in some instances the window glass is shattered, leaving many civilians unprotected from the cold or the sound of bombardment.

Contact between the office in Jerusalem and that in Gaza is ongoing since the first day of the Israeli attacks. For DSPR Gaza the three clinics for family health have operated on and off since the first day of the attack. At the moment all three clinics, one in Rafah and two in the Eastern and North Western parts of Gaza city are closed since they are in areas where military activities are ongoing. Accordingly, access to the clinics is virtually impossible although the plan was for these clinics to serve as emergency clinics for the casualties of the war. As soon as a semblance of normalcy is attained and military activities do not threaten the lives of patients and medical staff, the clinics will be reopened to receive both emergency and primary health care patients. The medical committee of the Gaza DSPR continues to exchange and consult with each other on the situation and takes decisions appropriate to the moment. The offices of DSPR Gaza are open and operating but on a restricted staffing as many of our employees and staff members cannot make it due to the ongoing military activities. ACT Forum Palestine has been engaging the Gaza DSPR and other ACT Forum members in a variety of discussions on the needs and the means to help whether through shipment of medications and food supplements or in other ways. These deliberations are crucial for a revision of the ACT MEPL81 Gaza Appeal which is expected to be ready by tomorrow, Friday, January 9, 2009.

DSPR will come out with a daily statement on the humanitarian situation in Gaza as experienced and related by members, staff and beneficiaries of DSPR.

Zack Sabella
Volunteer on Communication
DSPR Central Office
Jerusalem, January 8, 2009