Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy...History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."- Martin Luther King Jr

Since Friday, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has escalated to previously unimaginable levels.

Over the past five days, Gaza has been completely shut off from the rest of the world due to an Israeli - and Egyptian-enforced - closure of all border crossings. By Sunday, approximately 800,000 Gazans were left without electricity as Gaza’s only power plant ran out of fuel.

Many of the hospitals and medical clinics were also left with dwindling medical supplies and little to no fuel to power generators. As a result, approximately 75 Palestinians have already died from the closure, and a number of patients in intensive care units have died as their emergency life support equipment cannot function without electricity. Many hospitals are forced to choose which equipment to keep running: dialysis machines, neonatal units, or heart and oxygen machines.


Israeli peace groups have braced dipping temperates and rain-sodden grounds at the Erez border crossing to try to get food aid through to Palestinians in Gaza [EPA]

The Israeli military has prevented an aid convoy organised by Israeli human rights organisations, peace activists, and former military personnel, from reaching needy families in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Since Saturday, Israeli groups have braved dipping temperatures and the unusually rain-sodden grounds of the Erez border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, hoping that Israeli authorities would allow five tonnes of food through.

"We just thought that the blockade of Gaza is wrong, that starving people and preventing them from having basic human rights like food, fuel and water is not the solution," said Rachel Aharoni, 17, from Tel Aviv.

Israel Bars Aid Convoy to Gaza

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