Palestinian disease fears

Palestinians have difficulty reaching hospital

By Frank Gardner in Gaza

The Palestinian Health Minister, Dr Riyad Za'anoon, says a humanitarian crisis is building because of Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territories.

He said the region risked an outbreak of disease because Palestinian health officials were unable to visit patients in their homes.

When viruses erupt, they wouldn't respect the artificial ditches

Palestinian health minister

Israel announced on Monday that it was lifting the blockade on four West Bank towns but the major centres of Ramallah and Gaza remain effectively under siege.

He called on the UN and other international bodies to intervene.

Disease risk

Dr Za'anoon said the Israeli blockade had prevented doctors from vaccinating children and stopped pregnant women from reaching hospital.

Israeli army has restricted Palestinian traffic

He said water supplies could no longer be chlorinated.

The minister said a European-built hospital in the Gaza Strip was about to run out of power because the closures were blocking a vehicle that could deliver a solar power generator.

Dr Za'anoon said the risks of disease were multiplying because Israeli checkpoints were preventing garbage from being taken to dumps outside towns.

Wider danger

He said that if an epidemic occurred amongst Palestinians, Israelis too would be affected.

''This is very serious and when viruses erupt, they wouldn't respect the artificial ditches that have been done to isolate the villages from the cities,'' he said.

The health minister concluded by appealing to the UN, the European Commission, the Arab League and other organisations to intervene quickly on behalf of the Palestinians.

He said that while fewer people were being shot dead than in previous months, more and more were dying silently at home because the health service was unable to function.