#GazaHealthCrisis | “Long and Healthy Lives” of Babies in Danger as Vaccines are Depleted

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#GazaHealthCrisis | “Long and Healthy Lives” of Babies in Danger as Vaccines are Depleted

May 20th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

May 20, 2012 | by occpal
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“Long and Healthy Lives”. This is the title of a report of the UNRWA “Commemorating 60 years Protecting Preserving the health of Palestinian Refugees“ (Report, PDF Oct 22, 2009)

60 Years UNRWA commemorates and celebrates a great step forward and reduction of child mortality due to the immunization program. Immunization which, aside of water and sanitation are the two health interventions which have the greatest impact on world’s healthcare.

Yet, about two million children still die each year from diseases for which are available at low cost which can be prevented. Vaccines that not only prevent illness but also imminently reduce the risk of death.

Long Healthy Lives not under an Israeli Siege in Gaza

This morning I received a message from a father from Gaza who shouted out for help. His 1-year old son did not get his vaccination against Measles and DPT. The DPT vaccine immunizes the body against three infectious diseases in humans: diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus.

The vaccin is depleted for 2 months already. After contact with a doctor from the A.R Pediatric Hospital in Gaza this seems to be an “old problem“. Vaccines come, but late, eventually they will arrive and if not available, appointments for the so important timely immunizations are pushed forward till some get available.

This is a very serious situation.

For immunization at young age, protects the child against infections at an age when it is most vulnerable. Delay, may compromise the protection of the child at an early age.

If a child gets infected, not only health may be inflicted, but in case of infection especially these kind of preventable diseases can cause permanent damage and in some cases depending on age, condition and resistance of the child also disabilities.

I would not have been so shocked about delay in a vaccination if it was not that in Gaza not only vaccinations are limited but a lot of other factors impose health risks as well.

Palestinian children lack protection which many of us regard as a normal standard , hence some basics we are not even thinking about.

Health risks and problems due to Israeli Siege

But in Gaza, other factors cause an unnecessary high rate of complications and risks for the little ones. Last but not least also causes problems for their parents who are also powerless in this suffocating siege, worry and are in anxiety for their child’s health.

Lack of access to water sanitation (which is a human right). Only 5% of the water in Gaza is fit for human consumption.
Healthcare in continuous state of emergency.
Medications are depleted.
Supplies are out of stock.
Access to healthcare outside Gaza is hostage to Israeli racist policies, of which already over 173 children died.
Dialysis patients, live in continuous battle and fear, for lacking supplies for life sustaining dialysis.
Thalassemia patients meet total depletion of medication stocks for some while now
Israel uses chemical weapons on Gaza. During the war in 2008-2009 75 tons of depleted uranium were pounded causing a high rate of cancer and impossibilities to cure while it prevents access to healthcare or supplies to do so.
Israel deprives delivery of fuel which causes direct problems for health care, hospitals, life sustaining equipement, surgery and more. This already claimed many lives too.
Israel has policies which it prevented to leak about deliberate starvation of Palestinians in Gaza (Report)

This, and much more solely cause by the inhumane and illegal siege on Gaza by Israel. Israel, creating and reinventing policies you not even dare to dream about to deliberately deprive Palestinians of basic needs. Murder by proxy.

For who does not get the picture (yet)

Not only bullets kill.

In Gaza not only bombs, snipers or present environmental or chemical and nuclear war pollutions cause illnesses or kill. Even medics and healthcare is under attack. Hospitals are inflicted by bombardments as well, ambulances shot at. Not to forget the existing and increasing dangers of lack of sewerage, electricity and the deliberate infringement on all basic needs cost many lives.

In World War II, 1 in 6 Jewish people so 1 Million human lives were literally terminated by exactly the same deprivation (Research by Dr. Gideon Polya) which Israel now in crescendo modus is deploying, reinventing and severing in Palestine and especially Gaza.

Many do not even have the slightest idea of the Genocide on Palestine.

Genocide which is not only caused by direct violence, but by passive aggression as well. Murder by policies. Ethnic cleansing by restrictions. Killing by deliberate depriving.

Even language can kill

In a recent report by Israeli Physicians for Human Rights, shocking facts are displayed about the effects of racist policies for the human lives of Palestinians. I want to remind you that thise report mainly concerns the Palestinians inside what was Palestine 1948, now called “Israel” (Report PDF)

In what calls itself “The light of the nations” even language can kill. For health care leaflets, hospital personal are prohibited or uneducated to communicate with indigenous people and even this way, mortality is on the rise. A shocking rise as well.

Death at the checkpoint.

Villages are blocked, people are denied access to hospitals, medications are not put available or women in labour are prohibited from reaching a hospital causing 18.000 pregnant women a year to develop complications as well as (at least) 35 stillbirths so far registered.

Healthcare, even emergency care, stopped at the checkpoint. A very moving and shocking story, last week speech by Abbas Hamideh of Al-Awda, about his father, dependant on dialysis who died due to obstruction of the ambulance at a checkpoint. (Read the whole story here)

Death due to hostage of the Israeli permits

The most weak of mankind, the babies, elderly, the ill, the disabled die. Simply because Israel does not grant a permit.

Just a few examples:

7 month old babies like Adham Baroud die due to lack of permit for treatment outside Gaza.
Not only the 7-month old baby, but 173 children died due to lack of a permit: Report Al-Mezan
Or download the Full Report of Al-Mezan (PDF)
A baby died of shutting down breathing aid because of lack of fuel and consequentively power (report)

But to cut things short:

You don’t even need words to understand if you watch the video below you will understand all about Israel’s genocidal policies by deprivation of healthcare. I challenge you to watch this video in the fullest to get a complete understanding of the evil and atrocities imposed by Israel, the misery and death which is caused by it’s deliberate policies:

One of the most shocking stories is the death of baby Firas:

Bodycount

This world, following merely the zionist rethoric of an Israeli bodycount, sustained, by a biased media coverage is also responsible for sustaining this inhumane and murderous policies by Israel.

Which, in it’s incitement and distortion of facts seems to get away with millions of deaths and re-creation of Warsaw ghetto‘s. Because Gaza which is not only very similar to Warsaw camp not only suffers all the mentioned above. It also meets extra judicial killings (Reports 1, 2, 3) as well.

Which turns Gaza effectively into an extermination camp.

Not even this world is tolerating or being totally ignorant of the facts and atrocities, it also funds the ongoing war machine and apartheid imposed by Israel on Palestinians every single day under the pretext of so called security threats of which neither many outside Palestine not even by far perceive the grandiosity of the lies.

And while responsible organizations in this world are boasting and amplifying reports like the “Long and Happy Lives” -Report, boasting 60 year of success (or let’s better say: sustaining ongoing malpractices) closes the eyes for Israel’s deliberate undermining and killing of innocents and simply is, sustaining passive genocide as well as violations of every right imaginable.

Back to Baby Raed Salah.. the children of Gaza

Also 1 year old baby Raed Salah like all children in Palestine have a right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health, facilities, treatement and access to such as well. Which include immunization against diseases which can be prevented. Vaccines.

For if health can not be assured by vaccination, these children will encounter the next barrier: depletion of medications.

At this moment 204 types of medication and 218 types of medical consumables are depleted.. 200 others are on their way to zero-stock.

Human rights are supposed to be valid for all humans. Including Palestinians. In this case, infringement of immunization, which lays at the basis of a healthy life or at least the prospects to such – in an environment – which due to Israeli violence already can be very deadly is the least to which this world should be committed.

The silence of this world, but merely it’s in-actions against these baffling atrocities are simply nauseating.

In Palestine 2 organizations are responsible for implementing the immunization program:

The MOH (Palestinian National Authority) for non refugee children.
The UNRWA for refugee children.

Israel loves to turn the blame on organisations, divided Palestinian leaders which not have merely more than a figurative role and powers to deploy within the restrictions imposed by the zionist entity.

Yet, this is no reason mankind should remain silent and in in-actions against these groce violations nor should it not a day longer be a reason to put Palestinians suffering these murderous policies because they are subjected to a blame game, ignorance, biased media nor no longer should be subject to governments lacking sanctions to force Israel to live up to it’s obligations!

The root of the evil

This world, and it’s silence complicit governments forgets too easy, the root of the problem is Israel and it’s inobedience to legal obligations, even as an occupier:

Articles 55 and Article 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly establish that Israel, as the occupying power, not only has a duty to ensure medical supplies reach hospitals in the OPT, but to ensure and maintain the services of the hospitals too. As High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, other states not only have a moral duty but also a legal obligation to ensure Israel abides by its commitments to the protected population of the OPT.

UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, As a States Party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Israel is obliged under Article 24 of the treaty to recognise the right of every child under its effective jurisdiction “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services”.

More in the report of GISHA: Israel, a disengaged occupier

Take Action! Demand entry of vaccines and medications!

Because:

Health is no choice.
Medical care and access to such is a Human Right.
Infringement of this right is not only a violation of law but all morals and ethics as well, which Israel deliberately deploys with the intention to ethnic cleanse Palestine
How many more dead corpses of Palestinians and their children does the international community need to see in order to act?
How many more cruelties and violations of Human Rights, Regulations and International Law will be needed?
How long so the world intervenes in this ongoing warcrimes and it will be stopped once and for all?

How Can You Help?

Most important step is to share this information. Create awareness. Share this information and appeal in your networks, email it to friends, share on facebook, google, tweet it to your followers. Print it or hand it out at demos or events. Share and amplify facts (many can be found on this blog in the Category Health ). Take whatever you like and amplify for the sake of the children and the weak and ill.
Write to your representatives. Demand them as “sponsors” of United Nations and maybe even member Israel to tale actions or sanctions to ensure delivery, access and supplies for adequate healthcare as stated in Art 55 and 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention
Contact the UN, UNICEF, UNRWA representatives in your country or write the headquarters.
Contact the ICRC which has a mandate by law based on powers lended by UN to it to act.
Contact organisations responsible or monitoring human rights like Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and request them to issue a statement or action alert
Contact your local (pro)Palestine organisation, ask them to issue and publish a statement to create maximum awareness and create amplification about this plight and unnecessary suffering.

Contact organisations via twitter

Follow @UNICEF
Follow @UNRWA
Follow @UN
Follow @UNOCHA
Follow @UNISPAL
Follow @icrc_english
Follow @icrc_arabic
Follow @amnesty
Follow @hrw
Follow @MSF_USA

For the sake of baby Raed Salah all children: Do not stay passive but act! So Raed and all the kids, their parents, adults, disabled and ill people in Palestine get the best of chances for “Long, Healthy Happy lives as well”!

Photography

Ministery declares state of emergency – Photography

Gaza Health Care in Danger – Photography

More Resources or related information:

Palestinian deaths following infringement of right to medical treatment – B’ Tselem – Report
35 babies died at Israeli checkpoints – Report
Israel Kills Dialysis in Gaza – 450 Patients Lives Are In Danger – Report
Dialysis in Paralysis | Electronic Intifada – Report
Factsheet on Gazan Children’s Access to Medical Care – Al Mezan | 173 children died – Report
UK Diplomat wife dies after forced to renew Jerusalem permit – Report
2 Children Lives of Dozens of Others Endangered Israel’s Infringement of Medical Care – Report
Infant close 2 death as Israel denies medication – Report
Starve Them; Shoot Them then Give Them Cancer – Report
Israel to Supreme Court to prevent exposure of document containing minimal calorie requirements for Gaza – May1, 2011 – Report
Israel Restricts the Access of Gaza Patients to Urgent Medical Treatment if their Condition is Not Life-Threatening | In violation of Medical Ethics and International Law | Al mezan | June 30, 2010 – Report
Children and Armed Conflict: Developments in the OPT | UN | April 13, 2010 – Report
Arab-Palestinian Citizens of Israel: Discrimination in Access to Health; Lower Health – PHR – Report