RAFAH CROSSING TO REOPEN PARTLY ON MONDAY
The Egyptian authorities have closed Thursday the only Rafah crossing for 4 consecutive days during Eid Al-Fitr holiday, according to Alray Media Agency report monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).
Ministry of Interior in Gaza said that the crossing will be open only to foreign passport holders, Egyptians with temporary visas, and patients who acquired medical transit from Ministry of Health.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Gaza Ghazi Hamad confirmed a week ago that there is a steep decline in the number of travelers through the Rafah crossing between Gaza after Egypt saw a political unrest following the removal of former President Mohamed Morsi, which he described as a ‘major crisis’.
Hamad added “the work at the crossing fell very significantly; nearly 1,200 Gaza citizens had been daily traveling before the crisis in Egypt, compared to only between 170 to 200 citizens as for nowadays.
The closure of the Rafah crossing cripple Gaza Health Ministry services
The Ministry of Health(MOH) in Gaza said,” the closure of the Rafah crossing that considered the lifeblood to Gaza affects all facilities of the ministry .”
“It is sole crossing used for the ill to get treatment abroad, the entry of medicines and fuel used to run hospitals’ generators.”
Minister of the MOH Mofid Al-Mokhalati said in a press conference held in Gaza on Thursday that continuing the Israeli illegal blockade and increasing it by controlling Karem Abu Salem and Beit Hanoun crossings made the Rafah crossing the only hope for the people in Gaza.
He pointed out the limited quantities of fuel entering Gaza and partial opening of the Rafah crossing became a real concern to the Ministry to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
MAPIM urges international agencies to pressure Egypt
Meanwhile Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organization (MAPIM) has issued a press release calling for an international pressure to be put on Egypt to reopen the Rafah border crossing in southern the Gaza Strip, the only access point to the outside world.
MAPIM stated the following:
Since July 5, the Egyptian authorities as a result of the internal situation, has closed the Rafah crossing, and began a systematic process of destroy tunnels along the border of the Gaza Strip.The situation is moving towards a humanitarian crisis in Gaza if the Egyptian authorities continue to hamper the free flow of goods and people through the Rafah crossing.
The result of the closure of the Rafah border has resulted in the following predicaments :
1. The disruption of the movement of passengers to and from the Gaza Strip, where the average daily departure is of 1,000 passengers, including students, patients and businessmen, as well as the cancelation the Umrah season for the month of Ramadan.
2. An average of 300 patients travel each day from the Gaza Strip to Egypt for treatment. the partial opening of the Rafah crossing for only 4 hours a day, results in the decrease of travelers in addition to depriving some of them from complete access to medical treatment.
3.There is an acute shortage of main building materials and therefore the closure of the Rafah crossings and bombing of the tunnels have stopped the construction of humanitarian projects, including the of restoration of orphan houses and school construction, and threatens all work in the construction industry for their business . This has created the sudden jump in the rate of unemployment that is already high.
4. Gaza is now facing food shortages as the market begins to use up stored supplies and there is concern of the increase in deficit of food if the crisis continues.
5. Power plant suffers the largest crisis since a long time and now it is close to the consumption of its own reserves of fuel stocks , expected to be depleted soon.
6. Ambulances that run on gasoline have stopped running and those that run on diesel are also facing a possibility to stop its operation.
7. Dumping of untreated sewage into the Sea of Gaza, threatens an environmental disaster. This is due to solid waste collection patrols are unable to make their rounds because of shortage of fuel and an inevitable environmental crisis is likely to erupt.
8. Many agricultural irrigation have stopped operation as water wells are not able to be pumped out due to pumps dependent on fuel . This eventually threatens crop failure in the fields.
9. Cessation of fishing activities due to lack of fuel for the boats and thereby worsening the livelihood of the fishermen and jeopardizing protein supply for Gaza.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (Mapim) is alerting the international agencies and the world community , with Gaza still under siege by Israel , it is most vulnerable to any interruption of basic needs flowing into Gaza.
We call on the world bodies to deploy an urgent action to demand Egypt to open the Rafah border and not hamper the flow of goods urgently needed by Gaza . Intentionally doing so is tantamount to denying the Gaza populace their Human Rights. (T/P02/E1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
