Background
Gaza is in the grip of a severe humanitarian crisis as the result of the armed conflict between Palestinian militias and Israel in late December 2008 and early January 2009.
The military action claimed the lives of 1,440 Palestinians and injured 5,350; 13 Israelis were killed as well. Thousands of Gazans remain homeless, though the total number of displaced people is unknown. Water and sanitation systems have been badly damaged, and around 300,000 people still lack running water. Large-scale destruction of greenhouses and farmland has reduced the availability of locally produced fresh food.
Compounding the problem is that the 18-month blockade prior to the recent violence had left around 80 percent of Gazans dependent on humanitarian assistance—assistance that was sharply curtailed by the fighting. The flow of humanitarian aid across the border continues to fall far short of what’s needed in the aftermath of the recent military action.
