31-07-2014 Feature
Our efforts are relentless and ongoing, however, humanitarian aid can only relieve some of the suffering caused by the violence – it cannot prevent it. This photo feature illustrates some of our work with the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PCRS) over the past few days.
Health care
We're working tirelessly with the PRCS and local authorities to facilitate medical evacuations and provide medical supplies to hospitals. On Monday we donated intravenous fluids and first aid materials to the Gaza Civil Defence. We also accompanied PRCS ambulances and Civil Defence to Khuza and evacuated four human bodies and four wounded who were stranded in the combat zone.
Water
3,500 litres of trucking water and 1,000 litres of bottled water were distributed to approximately 4,000 displaced people in IDP (displaced persons) centres in the Gaza strip on Sunday. Since the fighting began we've carried out numerous projects with the PRCS and local authorities to restore access to water to over 370,000 people thus far.
Emergency supplies
Since the beginning of the conflict over 350,000 people have fled to camps, schools, places of worship and relatives to seek shelter. But many feel that there is no completely safe place. People live in constant fear of violent death, and many are exhausted from not having slept in days because of the loud, terrifying nights. We work closely with the PRCS to meet the vital needs of the displaced, and have distributed emergency household items and PRCS food parcels to some 3'500 people.
Electricity
Three electricity lines were fixed yesterday bringing power to over 870,000 people in the strip. Additional repair works were expected to take place, the very day the power plant has been hit. Since the beginning of the conflict, the electricity supply has dropped by 50 per cent. Due to yesterday's damage to the Gaza power plant, which provided 1/3 of the overall power, it is now completely down, affecting among other things the mobile phone system.