GAZA: UN SUSPENDS AID OPERATION AFTER SECOND HAMAS-LINKED THEFT OF SUPPLIES

GAZA: UN SUSPENDS AID OPERATION AFTER SECOND HAMAS-LINKED THEFT OF SUPPLIES
New York, Feb 6 2009 1:10PM
The main United Nations relief agency responsible for feeding 900,000 Palestinian refugees in Gaza today suspended all imports of desperately needed aid after trucks linked to a Hamas ministry confiscated hundreds of tons of food, the second such seizure in three days.

"UNRWA's suspension of imports will remain in effect until the aid is returned and the Agency is given credible assurances from the Hamas government in Gaza that there will be no repeat of these thefts," said the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (<"http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/releases/pr-2009/jer_6feb09.html">UNRWA), which has been struggling to help Gaza residents after a devastating three-week Israeli military offensive.

The seizures followed repeated UNRWA warnings that not nearly enough food and other vital supplies were getting through because of Israel's closure of most crossing points into Gaza. Just hours before the latest seizure, UNRWA Director of Operations in Gaza John Ging had warned that the Agency would suspend operations if there was a repeat.

Although the amount stolen in the first seizure was small, "it's massive in its significance because they've crossed a red line," Mr. Ging said.

During the night of 5 February 10 truckloads of flour and rice were taken from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gaza, UNRWA said in a statement.

"They had been imported from Egypt for collection by UNRWA today," it added. "The food was taken away by trucks contracted by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Two hundred metric tons of rice and 100 metric tons of flour were taken."

On Tuesday, 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels were taken at gunpoint from a distribution store in Beach Camp in Gaza. Hamas said it would give out the aid itself and Mr. Ging yesterday told Hamas to "stop the nonsense that they've been coming out with trying to justify what they did and accept that it was an egregious error."

Mr. Ging has repeatedly called on Israel to throw open the border crossings to full access for relief supplies, including food, medicine, non-food items and reconstruction materials after the recent conflict.

The three-week Israeli offensive, launched with the stated aim of ending Hamas and other rocket attacks against it, killed 1,300 Palestinians, injured more than 5,300, 34 per cent of them children, destroyed or damaged 21,000 homes, and caused widespread damage to infrastructure.
Feb 6 2009 1:10PM
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