PRCS Operational Update (17-18 July 2014)

PRCS increased its readiness to respond to the needs of Palestinians affected by Israeli attacks in various areas in the oPt. Below are the PRCS interventions during the reporting period.

General Situation in the Gaza Strip

• In addition to the intense and indiscriminate shelling, an Israeli ground incursion started since Thursday night. This has caused mass displacement and a sharp increase in casualties in the last two days.

• Al Wafa Rehabilitation Hospital in Gaza city was evacuated yesterday, including 17 patients in serious condition, staff and international activists, and subsequently shelled and damaged.

• 13 out of a total of 54 Ministry of Health (MoH) primary health centres (PHC) are closed due to their geographic location near targeted sites.

• More and more civilians and mainly children are traumatized. At least 58,000 children require direct and specialized psychosocial support (PSP).

• An estimated 1,890 families (approximately 11,300 individuals) whose homes have been either totally destroyed or sustained major damage, rendering uninhabitable.

• 48,000 persons hosted at 43 UNRWA shelters and another 700 displaced families hosted by relatives, are in need of emergency food and other assistance.

• The intense shelling resulted in extensive damage to electricity infrastructure including main ten lines. This has left almost 80% of household with electricity four hours a day. Water and sewage facilities and pipes were also damaged due to the shelling.

PRCS’ Interventions:

I- The Gaza Strip

PRCS’ programs, hospitals, clinics, staff and volunteers are working in the field to provide emergency medical and relief services to the wounded and to affected populations following these Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip.

PRCS’ teams provided First Aid and transport to more than 295 wounded Palestinians, several of whom were transported to PRCS’ Al Quds Hospital in Gaza City and Al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis. The Society also evacuated the bodies of 45 killed from various Gaza Strip areas.

The PRCS team, in coordination with the ICRC, started needs assessment for the families whose houses were destroyed or severely damaged. Following this assessment, relief assistance was provided to 124 families (67 destroyed houses + 57 damaged houses) that included blankets, mattresses, kitchen kits, and hygiene kits.

After receiving many calls from the civilians on Thursday night ( 17 July 2014), the PRCS teams have evacuated hundreds of civilians from Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, Abasan, Alqararah, Juher al deik, and Al Shujaiyah to the UNRWA schools in Gaza city. Those civilian areas were targeted by intense Israeli shelling.

As for the Psycho Social Support, the PRCS has 170 well trained psychologists who are on call to be dispatched to provide their support to the children, the most affect by the Israeli attacks on the Strip, the minute safe shelters are secured for those children.

II- The West Bank

PRCS’ teams provided emergency and relief services to approx. 30 wounded Palestinians following attacks by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The PRCS hospitals in the West Bank have received and provided the required medical attention to a number of the casualties resulted from the confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces. Moreover, the PRCS Primary Health Care Centers are activated for responding to the needs of the Palestinians 24hrs.

Risks and attacks on the PRCS medical mission:

While carrying out their humanitarian duty, the PRCS medical mission are exposed to direct and indirect attacks and targeting which may jeopardize the lives of the teams and lead to damages in the facilities and ambulances. Following are some examples:

• Friday, 18 July: A PRCS’ ambulance was stopped by Israeli occupation forces while on their way to Al Dubbat neighborhood in Beit Lahia to evacuate wounded Palestinians. The ambulance was searched; its team was forced to undress and was told threateningly not to return to the area.

• Friday, 18 Jul: A PRCS team was on the way to Al Bahrani neighborhood (Eastern of Rafah) to evacuate an injured person when they were shot at to prevent them proceeding. They went back to the center and asked for coordination through the ICRC that they got after 8 hours. They arrived to the area and evacuated a killed Palestinian (due to the delay he died of his injuries) and 24 persons to an UNRWA shelter.

• Friday, 18 July: An Israeli attack on Al Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City left one PRCS’ EMT with multiple bruises and damaged an ambulance’s rear door as PRCS’ team was evacuating the wounded from a residential building.

• Friday, 18 July: A PRCS’ EMT, who was evacuating wounded Palestinians in Beit Hanoun, suffocated from tear gas fired by the Israeli army during an incursion in the area. The EMT was taken to PRCS’ Al Quds hospital for treatment.

• Friday, 18 July: While evacuating the wounded in Al Qarara (North East of Khan Younis), two PRCS’ volunteers and two EMTs suffered from severe suffocation after inhaling gas fired by the Israeli occupation army. The PRCS’ team had entered the area following prior coordination through ICRC with the occupation authorities. The two volunteers were taken to Nasser Public Hospital for treatment.

• Thursday, 17 July: A PRCS’ EMT who was assisting in the evacuation of wounded Palestinians in Al Qarara (North East of Khan Younis) suffered from suffocation and was left unconscious after inhaling tear gas fired by the Israeli occupation army. The PRCS’ team had entered the area following prior coordination through the ICRC with the occupation authorities.

• Thursday, 17 July: The windshield of one ambulance and one of the tires of another ambulance were damaged by shrapnel following an Israeli air strike on a residential area to the West of Gaza City. The PRCS’ EMT was evacuating the wounded in the area at the time.

End.