Oxfam warns of humanitarian disaster in Gaza

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Oxfam international has warned of a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip in the event Israel continued its onslaught on the Strip and did not allow passage of humanitarian relief assistance.

The organisation, in a statement on Monday, said that the Israeli occupation forces' incessant aerial bombardment had destroyed the infrastructure in Gaza leaving numerous areas in the Strip without water or electricity.

The increasing number of victims had exhausted the health sector, which is already working with minimum potentials, it added.

Oxfam said that it had to temporarily suspend its humanitarian work in the Strip because of the shelling including one of its programs that used to supply food to 25,000 people in Gaza.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians in the Strip depend on Oxfam's support along with other international aid organizations that provide those people with their basic needs such as potable water, food and sewage, Oxfam Britain's programs director in Jerusalem said.

He added that the world community should not leave the Israeli leaders go ahead in their disproportionate violent acts against civilians in Gaza, which further constitutes a flagrant violation of the international humanitarian laws.

The world leaders should adopt all necessary measures to halt the attacks from all parties and to urge Israel to permanently open all crossings, he underlined.

30-12-2008