Israel was last night accused of downplaying the humanitarian suffering in Gaza in order to justify continuing its military assault, The director of the World Food Programme operation said. she was "furious'' when she learned Israel was claiming warehouses were full of supplies.
Christine van Nieuwenhuyse said WPF stocks in Gaza showed a 30 per cent shortfall of dry goods such as flour and a much greater shortfall of 'ready-to-eat' goods which are in dire need in Gaza because of the acute shortage of power and gas for cooking.
Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, speaking during a visit to Paris denied the 1.5 million-strong population of Gaza was suffering a humanitarian crisis.
She was responding to calls led by France but supported by the European Union for a ceasefire in Gaza to allow a surge in humanitarian supplies.
She Said "There is no humanitarian crisis in the Strip and therefore there is no need for a humanitarian truce,'' she said. "Israel has been supplying comprehensive humanitarian aid to the Strip ... and has even been stepping this up by the day.'
Her analysis was at odds with Gordon Brown who categorized the current situation in Gaza as a "humanitarian crisis'' and called for a ceasefire.
Chris Gunness, spokesman for the United Nations agency responsible for Gaza's one million refugees – Palestinians who used to live in what is now Israel and their children – accused Israel of downplaying the humanitarian situation.
"When you look at the Israeli assertions about the humanitarian situation it is very hard to square this with the extraordinarily dire situation on the ground in Gaza,'' he said. "Any claims about human need at this stage need to be grounded in reality.'
'The humanitarian situation has worsened rapidly inside Gaza with families living in unheated, unlit buildings through fear of being hit by flying shrapnel while others venture out to pick through rubbish tips for scraps.
Almost all food shops in Gaza have closed through lack of supplies and the few functioning bakeries are surrounded by long queues of customers on the rare occasions when they open.
Source:Telegraph Co.UK
Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, speaking during a visit to Paris denied the 1.5 million-strong population of Gaza was suffering a humanitarian crisis.
She was responding to calls led by France but supported by the European Union for a ceasefire in Gaza to allow a surge in humanitarian supplies.
She Said "There is no humanitarian crisis in the Strip and therefore there is no need for a humanitarian truce,'' she said. "Israel has been supplying comprehensive humanitarian aid to the Strip ... and has even been stepping this up by the day.'Her analysis was at odds with Gordon Brown who categorized the current situation in Gaza as a "humanitarian crisis'' and called for a ceasefire.
Chris Gunness, spokesman for the United Nations agency responsible for Gaza's one million refugees – Palestinians who used to live in what is now Israel and their children – accused Israel of downplaying the humanitarian situation.
"When you look at the Israeli assertions about the humanitarian situation it is very hard to square this with the extraordinarily dire situation on the ground in Gaza,'' he said. "Any claims about human need at this stage need to be grounded in reality.'
'The humanitarian situation has worsened rapidly inside Gaza with families living in unheated, unlit buildings through fear of being hit by flying shrapnel while others venture out to pick through rubbish tips for scraps.
Almost all food shops in Gaza have closed through lack of supplies and the few functioning bakeries are surrounded by long queues of customers on the rare occasions when they open.
Source:Telegraph Co.UK
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