CWS partners need urgent help in Gaza
CWS is launching an appeal to assist the DSPR health programme as it struggles to cope with emergency cases at its
clinics.
"The situation in Gaza is absolutely disastrous," reports Bernard Sabella, Director of the Department of Service to
Palestinian Refugees (DSPR), a long term partner of CWS. "The bombardments are inflicting civilian casualties and Gaza
is in the most deplorable humanitarian situation as the Israeli air strikes have devastated infrastructure."
"The 2000 beds in all the Gaza Strip hospitals are not able to cope with the casualties," adds Mr Sabella. The DSPR
health clinics are being called into service as triage bases, treating the more serious injuries until people can be
transferred to hospitals. The number of injured civilians continues to rise.
The DSPR, a programme of the Middle East Council of Churches, is calling on the international community to pressure the
Israeli government for an immediate ceasefire. They are concerned for the hundreds of Palestinians falling victim to the
bombings, the deprivation of food and water supplies and the long term psychological scars left on the people.
"The conflict in Gaza and in fact in Israel and Palestine cannot and will not be resolved by force. Only the victims pay
the price and politicians are left to weigh the advantages to their positions, especially at the eve of upcoming Israeli
elections. In the long run, however, what is right is right and violence will not move us in this land towards an
acceptable end of conflict," says Mr Sabella.
CWS condemns the violent attacks by the government of Israel and Hamas, and continues to call for greater efforts
towards negotiating a just solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict.
ENDS