Torunn Aaslund
I have seen massive destruction to life in the Gaza Strip and an extensive effort from the world is required, says country director to Palestine, Jenny Oskarsson. Norwegian People’s Aid has, together with its partner organizations started with emergency relief work to assist the affected community. Monday she signed contracts with the first 5 local partners in Gaza.
It is clear that in terms of magnitude of destruction of houses and crucial infrastructure, numbers of injured, numbers of displaced people, numbers of people affected by mental trauma and generally in terms of humanitarian needs, the response to this latest war on Gaza will need to be much larger than the response to both the Israeli wars on Gaza in 2008-09 and 2012, Oskarsson continues. Local partners are more efficient
Jenny Oskarsson signed contracts with five partner organisations that NPA will be supporting in their ongoing relief effort.
Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) prefers to work through partners. Local organizations are close to the ground, they also have a good understanding of the needs and most urgent priorities. In most emergencies, the local capacities are usually the first responders, so also in the present situation, Oskarsson explains.
As we experienced after the war in 2008-09, when a huge influx of international organizations that paid too little attention to local capacities and local knowledge and lacked coordination, it was clear that it was not an efficient approach, she says.
We want to contribute so that local organizations are the leading agents in the relief effort in Gaza. Mahmoud Hamada is program coordinator in Gaza. He explains that NPA with economic support to the five local partners in order for them to distribute relief aid packages with non-food items to informal displaced persons in Gaza. This means that they live in informal shelters or with family or friends.
Our partners will procure the items from the local market such as hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, clothes for women and children, some partners will also distribute potable water tanks and fishing nets to support fishermen, Hamada explains.
The number of targeted families will reach more than 1275. Including women and children the relief aid in this first round of distribution will reach at least 6000 people.
UN: All children suffer from trauma
According to the UN more than 373 000 children are in need of trauma treatment after the brutal war experiences they have gone through the last month. UN emphasizes though that all children in Gaza will suffer from mental consequences from the war. Children as young as 6 years have in the course of their life experienced three traumatic wars already, leaving them with mental scars that never will be forgotten. NPA will be supporting education projects, including recreational activities, psychosocial support and remedial classes.
It is also urgent to rehabilitate agricultural areas ruined by bombs in order to resume food production as soon as possible in Gaza. During the latest attacks, 44% of the Gaza Strip was declared as a military area by the Israeli forces and was during the ground war controlled by the Israeli forces. – It is expected that most of the agricultural land in this area is destroyed, and we fear that much of this area is beyond rehabilitation, says Jenny Oskarsson.
In Gaza 95% fishermen are depending on international aid to survive and Israel continued the economic ware against them. Israel has also bombarded the fishing wharfs in Gaza and this has resulted in severe damages to fishing gears belonging to hundreds of fishermen.
Our partners will assist with rehabilitation of fishing boats and distribute equipment in order to start fisheries again in Gaza, says Oskarsson.
Improvement and Development for Communities (IDCO)
- Palestinian Association for Education & Environmental Protection (PAEEP
- Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)
- Al-Tawasol Forum Society
- Union of Palestinian Women Committees (UPWC)