Health Minister in the West Bank warns of a health crisis in Gaza

Tuesday April 22, 2008 11:16 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

Dr. Fathi Abu Maghli, Palestinian minister of health of the West Bank-based government, warned of an imminent health crisis across the Gaza Strip because of the lack of fuel and shortage of several health services.

Gaza City

Abu Maghli sent out an urgent message to concerned international organizations and human rights groups on Tuesday, denouncing the Israeli measures against Gaza and calling on them to pressurize Israel into allowing fuel and food supplies in the Gaza Strip.

In his message of appeal, Abu Maghli pointed out that the health sector in Gaza has recently suffered a great loss of essential items such as fuel for ambulances.

He maintained that stoppage of ambulances would make aiding Gaza wounded out of Israeli attacks on the region so difficult, for example.

Over the past two weeks, Israel strictly limited fuel shipments into the coastal territory, thus further hardening civilian life of the population.

Since last October, Israel has been allowing reduced quantities of fuel and cooking gas, in what Israel says a 'bid to stop homemade shells fire'.

The move has been dubbed illegal by international bodies, yet no genuine pressure has been exerted on Israel so that such measures would have been eased.

gaza strip | miscellaneous | news report rami at imemc dot org