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January 20, 2009

UN Calling for Unfettered Access to Gaza Strip
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Aid agencies say level of destruction in Gaza Strip is overwhelming 
Palestinians search the rubble of their houses, destroyed during the
Israeli army operations, in Gaza City, 20 Jan 2009United Nations aid
agencies say the level of destruction in the Gaza Strip is overwhelming.
They are appealing to Israel to open all crossing points so they can
import crucial humanitarian goods and reconstruction material into the
Palestinian Territory. United Nations aid agencies say they are planning
missions in the coming days into Gaza to make an accurate assessment of
the damage done during Israel's 22-day military offensive. But, they say
it is clear that the needs are enormous and work must begin immediately
to start helping people rebuild their lives. Spokeswoman for the UN
Relief and Works Agency, Elena Mancuni Materi, says UNRWA is working
overtime to help more than a million Palestinian refugees in Gaza. She
says people can come to one of UNRWA's many distribution centers to pick
up needed goods. She says all health centers have opened and are
operational. She says almost 51,000 people are still living in
shelters."As of yesterday, approximately 5,000 people have left this
emergency accommodation provided by UNRWA," said Materi. "However, many
of these people who had left have come back because they are finding
their houses destroyed. There is a lot of devastation in several areas."
Materi says all crossings from Israel into Gaza must be opened to allow
essential relief supplies, reconstruction materials and fuel to enter.
She says people must be allowed to move around freely within Gaza. She
says UNRWA has been forced to suspend $93 million of construction
projects since 2007 because it could not import the necessary materials
into Gaza. Given the current scale of devastation, she says this
situation cannot continue. "This becomes very crucial, as you can
imagine because of the reconstruction needs we are facing today in the
Gaza Strip," said Materi. "From an early estimate, an assessment we see
damage or destruction of 53 UNRWA facilities including schools mainly,
but also health cen
ters and other structures. Our main office is included, definitely. So,
again we do need to resume the import of goods for humanitarian aid, but
also goods that allow us to rebuild and reconstruct structures." School
was to have begun on January 17. The starting date has been deferred for
early February. UNRWA spokeswoman Materi says many schools have been
damaged or destroyed. And, many are being used as shelters. She says
school buildings must be rehabilitated quickly so children can resume
their studies as soon as possible.


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