Human Rights Organizations Call to Save Gaza Residents from Covid-19

Gaza, MINA – The NGO Network, the Council of Palestinian Human Rights Organizations and the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights issued an urgent appeal to the international community for urgent action to end the siege and save life in Gaza in light of the spread of the new “Corona” virus.

According to the appeal as quoted from Quds Presd on Monday said that “The Gaza Strip is facing the spread of the new Corona virus (Covid 19) under difficult humanitarian and health conditions as a result of the Israeli occupation authorities’ continued tightening of their siege on the Gaza Strip.”

It added, “The tightening of the blockade would cause the collapse of basic services, especially health care, water and sanitation services, and all municipal services, which suffer from a clear deterioration due to the lack of financial resources and the power cuts for about 20 hours a day.”

It stressed that these measures, which violate the rules of international law, carry serious and unprecedented risks, especially after the outbreak of the Coronavirus outside the quarantine centers in the Gaza Strip, which threatens to paralyze the ability of the health sector, municipalities and civil defense to carry out their duties in the face of the epidemic and provide assistance to its victims.

The appeal indicated that the announcement of the discovery of cases inside the Gaza Strip raised the concern of residents and observers of the situation in the Gaza Strip, due to the fact that the humanitarian conditions have deteriorated, including the economic collapse and weak health services, due to the limited and limited capabilities available to confront the virus.

The appeal said: “The decision to separate governorates and restrict the movement of citizens to besiege the epidemic and prevent it from getting out of control, as measures that have proven effective in several countries around the world, entails severe dangers and repercussions on the population.”

In this regard, he pointed to “the prevalence of unemployment and poverty affecting more than half of the population, while the percentage of families suffering from insecurity reached about (62.2 per cent), which is increasing dangerously as a result of measures to combat the virus, especially stopping the work of day laborers, fishermen, drivers and other professionals. “.

It called on the international community to fulfill its legal and moral duties and the necessity of immediate action for the crimes committed by the occupying state, especially lifting the unjust blockade on the Gaza Strip, which is considered a collective punishment criminalized by international law.

It also demanded that the Israeli occupation be paid to bring in all the needs, goods and fuel intended to operate the power plant, lift the maritime blockade and enable fishermen to fish in the Gaza Sea freely and safely, and to provide urgent humanitarian and medical support in support of the population’s ability to combat the epidemic and to ensure the continued provision of vital services to citizens.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced, this evening, Sunday, that it had recorded a new death and 66 cases of corona, bringing the total to 289, including 4 deaths, and 72 recovering cases, since the beginning of the pandemic.

Before the discovery of these cases, all the injuries recorded in Gaza were from the returnees via the “Rafah” crossings with Egypt, and “Beit Hanoun” with the Israeli occupation, who were hosted in special quarantine centers for 21 days, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Since Monday evening, government authorities in the Gaza Strip imposed a comprehensive curfew for two days as part of measures to combat the virus, after the announcement of the discovery of infections in the sector. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)