Israel's Gaza blockade crippling reconstruction

Eight months after war, import restrictions are delaying aid and causing 'de-development', leaked UN report says

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"A leaked UN report has warned that Israel's continued economic blockade of Gaza and lengthy delays in delivering humanitarian aid are "devastating livelihoods" and causing gradual "de-development".

For more than two years, Gaza has been under severe Israeli restrictions, preventing all exports and confining imports to a limited supply of humanitarian goods.

Now, eight months after the end of the Gaza war, much reconstruction work is still to be done because materials are either delayed or banned from entering the strip.

The UN report, obtained by the Guardian, reveals the delays facing the delivery of even the most basic aid. On average, it takes 85 days to get shelter kits into Gaza, 68 days to deliver health and paediatric hygiene kits, and 39 days for household items such as bedding and kitchen utensils.

Among the many items delayed are notebooks and textbooks for children returning to school. As many as 120 truckloads of stationery were "stranded" in the West Bank and Israel due to "ongoing delays in approval".

There were "continued difficulties" in importing English textbooks for grades four to nine – affecting 130,000 children – and material used to print textbooks for several subjects in grades one to nine.

Government schools were reported to lack paper and chalk, while the UN Relief and Works Agency, which supports Palestinian refugees and runs many schools in Gaza, was still waiting to import 4,000 desks and 5,000 chairs.

The UN says the current situation "contravenes" a UN security council resolution passed during the war in January, which called for "unimpeded provision and distribution" of humanitarian aid for Gaza."

more

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"The United Nations says the underground water aquifer that sustains some 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is "in danger of collapse" following years of overuse and contamination from armed conflict.

U.N. Environment Program researchers said overuse, salt water intrusion, sewage and agricultural runoff as well as hazardous medical waste in Gaza landfills is contributing to the situation. They said pollution levels in the water are now so bad that Gaza infants are now at risk for nitrate poisoning.

A report published Monday said that residents need an alternate water supply to give the aquifer a chance to rest. Researchers said unless the trend is reversed now, the damage could take centuries to reverse.

Scientists estimated restoration efforts could take 20 years and cost some $1.5 billion."

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-09-14-voa51.cfm


Press Release: Resting and Restoring Gaza Strip's Underground Water Supplies Emerges as Top Priority Says UNEP

http://www.unep.org/conflictsanddisasters/News/PressReleases/tabid/417/language/en-US/Default.aspx?DocumentID=596&ArticleID=6303&Lang=en