The ongoing siege imposed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continues to exacerbate an already unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip after six-months of severe fuel restrictions. The IOF continues to intentionally reduce fuel supplies and has now reached unprecedented low levels that cannot meet the needs of the population.
Al Mezan, through continued monitoring and documentation, considers the restriction of fuel threatens the lives of the population and poses a dangerous risk for a worsening humanitarian crisis. It causes a total violation of human rights, including economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights and of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
According to Al Mezan's field investigations, work in governmental and nongovernmental institutions has stopped due to lack of transportation between cities, towns, and refugee camps within Gaza. The primary and secondary educational institutions have stopped working also, whether those managed by the government or United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA). Hundreds of teachers were unable to reach schools, particularly those who live far from their workplaces, and students cannot reach their schools. University education has been suspended particularly after a large number of teachers and students could not reach their universities. The same applies to the health sector, which is already suffering from lack of fuel needed for operating ambulances. When the IOF carries out attacks on the Strip, ambulances cannot reach the injured or transport them to hospitals due to the severe fuel shortage.
The interruption of fuel causes the sewage treatment plants and pumping stations to stop, thereby pushing the Strip towards an environmental disaster. This will particularly increase the flow of sewage water into the streets and alleys, particularly in Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahiya towns in north Gazawhere a main treatment plant is located. The plant pumps the sewage water after collecting it in the northern basins from neighboring towns.
Gaza's beaches are witnessing high rates of pollution due to the pumping of untreated sewage water into the sea. This issue aggravates todays environmental and public health crisis that already suffers from an ongoing deterioration. The markets show a shortage of vegetables and the prices for goods continue to climb. Farmers are unable to transport their products to the market, which causes such a shortage of produce. Other basic and necessary goods are increasingly difficult to find also. Without fuel, agriculture and most water well pumps cannot operate. Fertilizer and pesticide sprayers also require diesel to operate, and since they cannot get fuel this threatens to damage crops. The majority of the population does not have access to vegetables due to high prices, since the Gaza Strip witnesses an unprecedented phenomenon of unemployment and poverty.
A bread crisis emerged after a severe shortage in cooking gas depleted bakery stocks. If Israelcontinues to prevent supplies of cooking gas to the Strip, all bakeries are under threat of shutting down their operations. Most homes in the Strip rely on natural gas, also, and this will make it very difficult to cook and this problem will exacerbate already above normal rates of malnutrition and anemia. This situation could turn into a real disaster if the siege continues even if only for a few days, including a complete shutdown of the power plant due to lack of industrial fuel. According to the sources at the power plant, the continual operation of the station will be impossible if the closure continues. The electricity company's reserve stock is 1,500 cubic meters of industrial fuel, which is capable of operating the station until 18 April 2008 if it does not exceed a production rate of 45 megawatts.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns strongly the IOF's ongoing siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and the further restrictions of supplies, which grossly violates the rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The Center rejects the IOF's justification for stopping fuel supplies into the Strip, which claims to provide enough fuel to meet the 'minimum needs' of the population. This justification contradicts with IHL that affirms the needs of the population must be met. 'Minimum needs' of a population is an unprecedented invention made by Israel. Under International law, Israelis under an obligation to ensure that the needs of the population are met, and civilians under occupation are entitled to have their need met.
Al Mezan reiterates its call on the international community to break its silence and uphold its legal and moral obligations towards the civilian population in the OccupiedPalestinianTerritories(OPT), especially the Gaza Strip. The international community must act immediately to end the siege imposed on the Strip that threatens the lives and livelihoods of its population and violates human rights. It must also provide international protection for the population in the Gaza Strip.