GAZANS IN URGENT NEED OF FOOD AID AS BOMBING CONTINUES

[Orwellian_Ghost]

GAZANS IN URGENT NEED OF FOOD AID AS BOMBING CONTINUES
Islamic Relief - UK

Website: http://www.islamic-relief.com

Jan 1, 2008

British aid agency Islamic Relief has delivered four trucks of food aid to the main Al Shifa hospital in Gaza. The food aid included flour, rice, beans, tinned meat and fish. Aid workers report that before the delivery of aid reached the hospital food stocks were almost depleted and there was only enough flour to last four days.

Islamic Relief is one of the largest aid agencies operating in Gaza and has been sourcing food and medical supplies from inside the Strip. Emergency relief teams say food is running out and immediate supplies are needed from outside of Gaza in order to reduce the human suffering.

''Since the bombing started six days ago people have become more and more desperate. I've met families who are resorting to boiling weeds that they've dug out of the ground in order to feed their families. People are too scared to leave their homes and in many cases they have run out of food,'' said Islamic Relief aid worker Hatem Shurrab in Gaza.

Islamic Relief aid workers carried out an assessment to establish how much food is available in the markets and with suppliers inside Gaza. Aid workers were only able to locate 10 tons of rice for a population of 1.5 million people, and there are severely limited supplies of other food items. The UN is reporting wheat shortages and Islamic Relief aid workers say only 10 per cent of Gaza's bakeries are producing bread as a result of shortages of flour and fuel needed to keep the machinery running.

''People only leave their homes to try and find food. We are seeing long queues outside bakeries with people having to wait up to an hour or longer to be given rations of bread. The bombs can fall at anytime and it's very risky and dangerous to venture outside for food,'' said Hatem Shurrab.

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For more information or for interviews with Islamic Relief staff in Gaza please contact:

Shaista Aziz on [phone]

Jamsheed Din on [phone]

Islamic Relief is a British international NGO with its Headquarters in Birmingham, UK. We seek to promote sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities through relief and development programmes. Established in the UK in 1984, Islamic Relief is dedicated to alleviating the poverty and suffering of the world's poorest people regardless of race, religion or gender.


http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/218894/123082101131.htm

[LeftishBrit]

1. Just to confirm, as a UK-er, that this is a genuine relief charity...

e.g. part of the Disasters Emergency Committee.

[emlev]

2. Why can't threads in this forum be recommended?

I don't hang out here and so don't know. Please clarify. Thanks.

[independentpiney]

3. www.irw.org Islamic Relief USA has a Gaza fund set up

They're an excellent charity,4 star rated from charity navigator. Please donate if you can

http://www.irw.org//campaigns/palestinecrisis08

Islamic Relief’s Response

• Launched an emergency multi-million dollar international appeal to help the victims.
• Six hours after the crisis started, Islamic Relief started delivering $126,000 worth of medical supplies to the hospitals with the most need and limited or no resources.
• Distributed four trucks of urgently needed emergency food aid.
• The United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO) has been given the permission to coordinate aid access to Gaza on behalf of all aid agencies. Working with WHO, Islamic Relief will be able to purchase aid commodities and have it brought in to Gaza Strip.
• Islamic Relief arranged coordination meeting with the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO) and all other NGOs operating in Gaza.
• Made purchase orders to different suppliers for materials including medical disposables, medical equipment, food, and non-food items which are on their way to the Islamic Relief warehouses and distribution points.
• Distributed 1000 blankets to hospitals.
• Needs assessment team has prepared a list of the urgent medical tools and equipment needed
• Islamic Relief’s procurement department will conduct a survey to find out what quantity and quality of food are available on the street.