The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor warned in a memorandum on Tuesday of an unprecedented deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the suffocating impact of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip in place for more than 11 years.
The blockade has deprived more than 2 million residents of Gaza of basic needs bringing them to the very brink of survival with about 80 percent of the population depending on international aid the Euro-Med Monitor highlighted.
Israeli authorities have intensified their blockade on Gaza in recent weeks severely limiting traffic through both commercial and non-commercial crossings depriving residents of electricity and fuel and preventing fishermen from earning a living it stated.
The health sector in Gaza witnessed a clear decline in the first half of 2017. Hospitals have been complaining of sharp shortage of medications and medical equipment because of the closure of the main crossings in Gaza in addition to the significant shortage of specialized staff.
According to Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been refusing most cases of treatment outside the besieged Gaza Strip resulting in the aggravation of health conditions of thousands of patients who need to be treated in hospitals outside Gaza. Five persons including three children have died over the past two days as a result of not being allowed to travel abroad for treatment.
The unemployment rate in the besieged Gaza Strip has reached 43.2% in the first few months of 2017 compared to 18.7% in the West Bank. The rate of the people who live below poverty line in Gaza has jumped to 38.7% which is two and a half times higher than the rate in the West Bank.
The Euro-Med’s memo also pointed to the power crisis in light of the shutdown of the sole power plant in Gaza mid of last April after halting the entry of artificial fuel required in order to run the power plant. This followed the imposition of certain conditions by the PA including the increase of taxes on electricity distribution company.
