Israeli siege 'significant risk to public health' UK warns
Palestine-Israel-UK, Politics, 5/21/2008

Britain's Department for International Development has been monitoring the humanitarian situation in Gaza, warning its assessments show that it is "extremely serious and that there are significant risks to public health."

"Due to fuel shortages, 60 million litres of raw and partially treated sewage flow into the Mediterranean each day and 90 per cent of mains water is polluted. Hospitals have between one and five days of fuel supply remaining," government minister Baroness Crawley said.

"Electricity cuts and low supplies of fuel for generators mean that hospitals are at risk of being unable to keep essential equipment running such as refrigeration for vaccines," Crawley said in a written parliamentary reply published Tuesday.

She said that the UK government had urged the Israeli regime at all levels to "ensure that, in line with their own public commitments, their actions do not result in a humanitarian crisis in Gaza." In March, a coalition of British aid agencies warned that Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip has created the "worst humanitarian crisis since its occupation began."

Previous Stories:
  Israeli killed by Kassam in southern Israel   (5/13/2008)
  Israeli bulldozers raze land in Hebron   (5/13/2008)
  Israeli troops arrest 2 citizens in Jenin   (5/13/2008)
  UK parliamentary-led group urged to demand end to Israeli attacks on Palestinians   (3/5/2008)
  UK police allowed alleged Israeli war criminal escape arrest   (2/19/2008)
  Gaza electricity cut 'alarming,' says UK   (1/22/2008)

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