White House and Israel Reject Claims of Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

While most charity and relief agencies claim there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, both the White House and Israeli foreign minister Livni have different views. The White House says they are overblown, while Israel outright rejects the claims.

Several international and non-governmental organizations have documented that civilians in Gaza are facing severe shortages of food, water and medical supplies. Our own Digital Journal writer, Sameh A. Habeeb, who is a witness to these attacks for the seventh day in a row, has documented problems here. The White House now says that the “humanitarian crisis in Gaza” issue is overblown. White House Spokesperson Gordon Johndroe was asked whether he agreed with Livni’s claim. Johndroe replied:

We want to make sure there is no humanitarian crisis. … The Israelis are reporting that Hamas hordes the humanitarian supplies and doesn’t allow them to reach the people of Gaza to create the idea of a humanitarian crisis. I can’t speak to the exact situation on the ground.

Yesterday, Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni responded to an EU request for a humanitarian truce, saying "there is no humanitarian crisis in the Strip, and therefore there is no need for a humanitarian truce.” These are the responses from the relief agencies working in Gaza: The International Red Cross said on its website:

“There is almost no electricity in Gaza city and cooking gas has run out. The water supply is extremely limited.”

OxFam reported that the water authority in Gaza only has a few days worth of fuel and chlorine supplies stockpiled. Water supplies are restricted in many areas to a few hours a week. Food and fuel are also becoming scarcer every day. United Nations Relief and Works Agency reported the following:

“How can one carry out proper relief work in these conditions of violence? The people of Gaza have already suffered the most stringent economic sanctions. … [A]s things stand now, we have only a few days supply left.”

Amnesty International blames Israel for indiscriminate attacks that don’t distinguish between civilians and Hamas group. There are no safe shelters for children and civilians have to hide in Gaza to avoid getting bombed, killed or injured. Human Rights Watch also talked about severe shortages of food and medical supplies in Gaza:

“Israel’s severe limitations on the movement of non-military goods and people into and out of Gaza, including fuel and medical supplies, constitutes collective punishment, also in violation of the laws of war.”

Christine van Nieuwenhuyse, the director of the World Food Program is very angry with Livni’s assertion that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Nieuwenhuyse told the Telegraph the stockpiles are already depleted and there is a severe shortage of dry goods such as flour and other ready-to-eat foods. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said both Hamas and Israel share responsibility for the crisis in Gaza and he wants moderation to prevail. Brown said he has no doubt there is a humanitarian crisis. In the U.S., Bush is not planning to do anything further and wants Obama to handle the Gaza crisis.