Reply #36: Save the Children Foundation, another source

[Tom Joad]

As if we lack any.

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/img/GAZAFactSheet.pdf
PDF file.

International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are witnessing a rapidly deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territory. While the situation in the West Bank remains challenging due to continued construction of the Wall, expansion of Israeli settlements, and restricted movement and access, it is the humanitarian situation in Gaza that is of utmost concern to International NGOs at present. Six months after the Israeli redeployment to the periphery of Gaza, we have come together to express our deep concern over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Despite initial hopes following the redeployment in September 2005, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has not improved. In fact, the situation has deteriorated due to three key factors:
• The continued and increased closure of border crossings and restrictions on movement, which
have decimated the economy and seriously depleted stocks of essential goods in Gaza;
• The withholding by the Israeli government of Palestinian tax revenues, which provide roughly
half of the Palestinian monthly revenue; and
• The suspension of direct aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the shifting donor priorities to channel humanitarian assistance through United Nations and NGOs, which seriously
undermines the PA's ability to deliver essential services to the Palestinian population.

With the PA providing services to 80% of the Palestinian population, these factors seriously
undermine the PA's ability to provide these services. The UN and international and local NGOs
cannot fulfill the core public sector responsibilities by setting up parallel mechanisms. More
practically, the UN and NGOs do not have the capacity to coordinate, manage and administer the
wide range of essential social services in the West Bank and Gaza, only to complement and support existing public sector structures as in the case of a humanitarian crisis.

This Report is a must read.