Women's Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP )
P. O. Box 31811, Tel Aviv
Urgent appeal
Amneh Muna went on a hunger strike!
She is demanding her right to basic human conditions!
Her health situation is deteriorating from day to day!
Amneh Muna, 30 years old, from Jerusalem, has been held in separation detention for more than 14 months.
She was held in Neve Tirza Prison (Ramle) 23 hours a day in a very small cell (2m x 2.5m), infested with a large number of cockroaches and other vermin. She is forbidden to meet any other prisoner. She is being held in the section of the criminal prisoners, who threaten her.
In the middle of October 2007, due to renovation works in the wing where she is being held, Amneh was transferred temporarily to another Ramle prison where conditions were slightly better. But on 25 October, the prison authorities transferred her back to the same terrible cell in Neve Tirza Prison. On 28 October, Amneh went on a hunger strike demanding to have her conditions improved. The prison authorities reacted by punishing her: they took all her belongings except some clothes, imposed on her fine of 250 NIS (about 60 $) and deprived her of family visits and recreation time in the courtyard.
On 8 November 2007 , the prison authorities transferred Amneh to Kishon Detention Center (Jalameh near Haifa). Amneh stopped the hunger strike for two days but the conditions in Kishon Detention Center were even worse than in Neve Tirza Prison; therefore, on 10 November, she went again on a hunger strike. On 13 November 2007, WOFPP's lawyer, Taghreed Jahshan, came to visit her, but the prison authorities told Taghreed that Amneh did not want to meet her. On 15 November 2007 Amneh's family came to visit her and was told the same. The truth was that the prison authorities did not tell Amneh about the lawyer's visit. They told her about the family visit, but did not allow to meet them, unless she stopped the hunger strike.
Amneh's health deteriorated from day to day. In the night of 18 November she had to be brought by ambulance to Ramle prison hospital, because of the failure of giving her infusions.
They intend to transfer her back to her cell in Neve Tirza prison but Amneh will go on fighting this decision by continuing the hunger strike. On 21 November, WOFPP's lawyer visited Amneh; she couldn't walk and was brought in a wheelchair.
Amneh Muna is continuing the hunger strike, demanding her right to basic human conditions.
22 November 2007
Please write protest letter to:
Beni Kanian
The head of the Israeli prison service
Fax number: +972- 8-9193800
P.B. 81
Ramle, 72100
Israel
The International Committee of the Red Cross in Tel Aviv:
Tel.: (+972) 35 24 52 86
Fax: (+972) 35 27 03 70
tel_aviv.tel@...
ICRC delegation
185, Hayarkon Street
TEL AVIV 63453
Israel
The International Committee of the Red Cross in Jerusalem
Tel.: (+972 2) 582 88 45 / 25 828 441
Fax: (+972 2) 581 13 75
jerusalem.jer@...
ICRC mission
Nabi Shu'eib st. 8
Sheikh Jarrah district
PO Box 20253
JERUSALEM 91202
Israel
Dear colleagues, I forwarded this letter as an attachment but
understand it didn't travel. Here it is below. If you are prepared to
sign please email Ghada Karmi ( Ghada.karmi@btinternet.com) instantly!
The idea is to get it to The Guardian within a day. Cheers Derek S
The Anapolis meeting must not ignore the plight of Gaza. We are
horrified at the continuing illegal siege of its people, further
intensified following Israel's decision to declare Gaza a 'hostile
entity'. If Israel now cuts off power and fuel supplies, essential for
hospitals, pumping equipment and sanitation, Palestinians, already
suffering without food or fresh water, will face a full-blown
humanitarian disaster - deliberately created through a consciously
punitive Israeli policy.
On 7 November, Dr Nathmi Ashur died after waiting 48 hours at the
Israeli-controlled Erez crossing to be transferred to a hospital in
Israel, the fifth patient from Gaza to do so in io According to the
latest UN (OCHA) Gaza report, 91 types of essential drug have run out.
WHO reports zero stocks of paediatric drugs in Primary Health clinics,
including antibiotics and vitamins. In June, Physicians for Human Rights
-Israel demanded that all patients needing care unavailable in Gaza be
permitted access to medical centres outside.
We should not stand by, silently watching while Palestinians die as a
result of the siege of Gaza. The Israeli government's systematic denial
of Palestinian rights is incompatible with any notion of peace or
justice. This is the real issue at Anapolis, and our government must act
to ensure that Israel immediately ends its blockade of Gaza.
Signed:
Let our people breathe
Let our people live
Rescue Palestinian people of Gaza
Lift out the lethal blockade on our children
We hope this urgent pre last minute attached appeal for lifting the suffocating blockade will reach through you to United Nations offices, Headquarters, European,
American, , International societies, personalities, and friends anywhere, urging them for solidarity and support the legitimate rights and basic demands of Palestinian people. This act will be highly appreciated by our innocent peaceful Palestinian people of Gaza living in very humiliating circumstances.
Dr. Ahmed A. Abu Said
Paediatrician , Allergo-immunologist, Gaza
Safe Gaza-Children Group
dr_aaabusaid@hotmail.com
Urgent Appeal
Gaza Strip is a narrow east Mediterranean coastal area of about 360 km2 with 1.5 million population, the vast majority of them are refugees; surrounded
from north and east by Israel, Mediterranean to west, Egypt to south, No airports no seaports, this area partially and temporary had been closing for the last
two years, but the situation has been sharply deteriorated in the last 6 months and the area hermetically sealed off.
Economical situation is appalling, no enough goods, or food stuff, no export, all the borders and crossing points, sea and air space are tightly closed,
prices jumped rapidly up to double or even more in this poor area and population.
Electricity and water often cut-off so we are more in dark than in light.
No basic materials for building or construction, for example cement is absolutely absent from the market even for tombs and or tombstones, nothing can be
newly built or repaired, of course we can't talk about iron or steel this is in the brides cans.
No spare parts for machines, cars, medical equipments in the hospitals and laboratories.
Petroleum and fuel products are in the minimum, might be severely reduced or stopped.
Thousands of students studying outside Gaza had lost their seats in the universities due to this terrible closure, the same fate for thousands of local
employees in Arab neighbouring countries.
Health situation is-especially- awful; more than 91 drugs so far are zero stock in the hospitals many of them are life saving such as: Immunoglobulin for
Immunodeficient children, drugs for renal failure, anticancer drugs etc.
Two cases died yesterday one of them young man of 36 with renal failure and the other is 48 doctor with brain haemorrhage because of the long delay on the
crossing point between Gaza and Israel, hundreds of such critical patients are also waiting their fate IBRAHIM, youngster of 15 is in intensive care unit
because of repeated attacks of meningitis due to lack of Immunoglobulin who used to receive since the age of 9months, he might loose his life in any time.
Simple human rights are extensively violated, no body can leave or go to Gaza, no possibility of participation in games or sport or other conferences,
meetings of any sort simply Gaza is collapsing, and it's the only GHETTO in the 21st century.
Psychological aspect of the terrifying blockade can't be assessed accurately now its symptoms will last sure for another decades.
In this pre last minute appeal we strongly urge for:
* Raising your voice against this lethal blockade; to open all the borders and the crossing points for free passage and movement for all.
* Free goods out and in especially nutritional items, construction materials and spare parts etc.
* Free electricity, water and fuel supply.
* Free drugs and medicinal supply for primary, secondary, and tertiary medical care.
Dr. Ahmed Abu-said, Paediatrician, Allergo-immunologist, Gaza, Palestine
Safe Gaza-children Group
Tel.00972-8-2843513
Mob.0599-405195
dr_aaabusaid@hotmail.com
Gaza - Ministry of Health Appeal
APPEAL
Israel's tight siege imposed on Gaza, the closure of its borders, the prevention of patients from crossing the border passages to receive medical treatment abroad, the prevention of entry of medicines and medical disposables into Gaza all put at risk the lives of hundreds of Palestinian patients. The health sector in Gaza is at its worst.
This being the tragic situation in Gaza, the Ministry of Health would appeal to the International Community to take an immediate action to put an end to this catastrophe which threatens the health sector to collapse. Yesterday a 12- year-old child: Tamer El Yazji died because the Israeli occupation prevented him from leaving the Strip to get medical treatment after developing acute complications of encephalitis. Two days earlier Nael Al Kurdi, a Cancer patient died among his family after he had cried loud urging the world to do something to allow him to get medical treatment he needs abroad, but his cries went in vain!.
The total number of people who died as a result of the borders closure since last June 2007 has risen to 44. Prevention of patients from traveling and prevention of entry of food, milk formula, and fuel is an organized crime committed by the Israeli occupation to exhaust and destroy the health sector, as part of the Israeli policy to kill and humiliate our people.
These practices are real war crimes. The International community should be held responsible for this tragic situation in Gaza and must put pressure on Israel to lift its siege and save the lives of patients who will inevitably die as a result of a barbarian inhuman policy that violates the basic right of patients to medical treatment, as laid down in all human laws and conventions.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health calls on all international community organizations, Human Rights Associations, the ICRC , and the WHO, to have a coordinated stance in this respect, and to stand on their commitments to stop Israel's crimes against our patients. The Arab World and the Islamic World should meet their obligations and help the Palestinian people in their current crisis. The Israeli siege is the prime obstacle against delivering health care services to our patients in Gaza.
We would also call on all free and honest media means to report and reveal such Israeli cruel practices against the Gaza patients and expose the ugly face of Israel which it tries to hide behind lies and false allegations.
The Current Situation in the MOH as a result of the Siege imposed on Gaza.
Medicines:
85 items of essential drugs are at 0 stocks
138 items of essential drugs are at (1 month – 3 months stock)
12 items of essential psychiatric drugs are at 0 stocks
(This worsens the patients' health status, increases prospects of committing suicide, and spurs family problems.)
Publications:
Almost at 0 stock: example: medical files, examination forms, (the forms are being used several times for more than one case, thereby preventing accurate documentation of case information).
X-ray bags and sterilization bags are at 0 sticks
Stationery:
0 stock
Medical Gases:
The occupation delays and prevents their entry, especially the Nitrose Gas used in Anesthesia for surgery. The available quantities suffice for 2 weeks only. Afterwards , the theatres will be totally closed down.
Cloth and dressings:
There is a severe shortage of this item The available quantity hardly suffices for the dead cover sheets and hospital bed covers.
Maintenance dept:
Suffers from severe shortage of spare parts for medical equipment (Israel prevents their entry on the pretext that they are not humanitarian items ), periodic maintenance is completely on hold for lifts, electrical generators, washing machines, water pumps, and refrigerators. ….etc Non-functioning medical equipment , especially hemodialysis machines and cardiac equipment in ICU, puts at risk the lives of patients,
Foods for patients:
Oils and dried beans are at 0 stock, and some items will suffice for weeks only. Fruits and vegetables are at 0 stock in all hospitals , and in the event Map UK aid arrives, the items will suffice for 2 weeks.
Cleaning detergents:
The stock suffices for 2 weeks only, and there is no budget to provide the needs nor to pay the cleaning companies' contracts. This will impact negatively on the cleanliness and sanitation status of hospitals.
Diesel and natural Gas:
The stock of these items is about 20% and will run for less than 15 days, while under normal conditions, the MOH needs 80.000 liters of fuel each month when there is a smooth flow of electrical power supply. However, if the power supply is cut off for 3-4 days, the need will rise to 200.000 liters of fuel.
Cutting off of electricity will lead to a disastrous catastrophe and will kill a lot of patients, the ICU rooms; the neonatology, burns units, the ICU, children's vaccines, foods, and public health will be severely devastated. Patients on ventilators (3-4% of all patients in Gaza) and children with cerebral palsy who are in need of special machines to drain the secretions all day long are at severe risk. Lab and blood bank needs, Oxygen concentrators, and the capacity of drainage depts. and X -Ray departments will be cut down by 50%. Further, a number of surgical operations will be cancelled completely, hemodialysyis machines will be shut down, and hundreds of patients will be in real danger of death
Medical disposables:
Severe shortage
Lab materials and blood bank materials
In October the stocks level was 60 items of solutions for hormones and drug level in blood test and liver enzymes test.
Statistics
on Patients and Patients who died at checkpoints as a result of preventing them from leaving the Gaza Strip
During November
13 dead at checkpoints
44 dead as a result of siege from June till now
600-700 patients need to travel to get medical treatment on a monthly basis
250-300 patients need urgent medical treatment, and any delay jeopardizes their lives
In addition there are 900 Cancer and Renal Failure patients
During October 2007:
253 patients were prevented from traveling outside Gaza
190 patients are under consideration by Israel and are in the "Rejected" Category"
45% is the percentage of rejected patients suffering from ophthalmic diseases, orthopedic, vertebral column, Cancer, and hematology diseases.
From 1/11/07 till 7/11/2007 the number of rejected patients was 19, and the number of patients who received no replies from the Israeli side was 39.
34 cases were allowed to cross through Eres from Thursday to Monday: 5-6 cases daily
39 patients are under consideration by the Israeli side.
11 patients received no replies.
Cancer patients:
450 patients in Gaza strip: 35% of them are children and 25% are women.
These are forbidden to leave Gaza to get medical treatment, to continue treatment, or to undergo surgery. A large part of Cancer patients have no access to their medications because the Cancer Drugs have been prevented entr y.
Renal Failure patients:
400 patients are undergoing renal dialysis three times a week. Due to the siege and the breaking down of some machines because the Israeli occupation does not allow entry of spare part s, the number of renal dialysis sessions has been reduced to 2 sessions a week .This has had bad effects on their general health.
Cardiac patients:
400-450 patients suffer from a severe shortage in cardiology drugs. The breaking down of some therapeutic and diagnostic equipment in cardiology departments has worsened the situation.
Hemodialysis machines:
The MOH has 69 machines distributed to 4 hospitals. 20 machines are currently out of order, because Israel prevents entry of spare parts. 3 pieces of equipment have exceeded their provisional life times (expiry date) and are likely to break down at any time.
Ministry of Health 25th November 2007
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