JERUSALEM, August 12, 2009 (WAFA)- International NGOs and UN agencies called for full humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, especially of items needed to rebuild after the devastating most recent war in Gaza.
Even now, six months after the military operation that killed 1,400 Palestinians and wounded over 5,000, Israel does not allow reconstruction materials into the territory, although 4,000 private homes were fully destroyed and 11,500 were left partially damaged and continue to pose a safety hazard. Aid agencies, including ACTED, have found various ways to implement projects in support of the most vulnerable despite the severe restrictions on imports. However, they have been unable to move from the early recovery to the development stage or even to contribute to the physical reconstruction of this devastated area.
In this artificially maintained permanent state of emergency, ACTED continues to intervene with distribution projects providing those in need with fresh food parcels, shelter, and non-food items (NFIs). One project currently ongoing is a USAID-funded programme to supply 1,850 vulnerable families in North Gaza and Gaza City with tents, blankets, hygiene kits, and cooking sets.
The first phase of the project consisted of distributing tents, donated by ShelterBox UK, to families whose homes had been entirely destroyed. The seven families that make up the Ash-Shawish clan used to live in seven homes next to each other in the particularly severely affected town of Johr el-Dik. Since all of their houses were demolished, all relatives must share one small space - the animal fodder storage room. While they wish it was possible to obtain construction materials, so they could begin to rebuild, the Ash-Shawishs were excited about the donation: 'These seven tents cannot replace our homes, but they will allow us to have some privacy, not 40 people crammed into one room every night. We are very grateful.'
June 29th marked the first day of NFI distributions, during which almost 300 inhabitants of East Gaza City whose property had been damaged or destroyed during the war picked up hygiene kits, blankets and kitchen sets for their families. Like other beneficiaries, Salah Mahmoud Franji was impressed with the quality of the products: 'The kit includes lots of useful items and the pots and pans are made of very good materials!'
Normalcy is still a far-off hope for Gazans, but ACTED will continue to support the most vulnerable people through this ongoing catastrophe and until the blockade is lifted and they can be self-sufficient again.
