Gaza at this time is almost completely cut off from critical supplies coming through its borders. Reports are that conditions are worsening everyday. As the situation grows more challenging, ANERA's long-time support in the region continues.
As of October 29, ANERA's Gaza Strip Director, Salah Sakka, reported that 1.7 million fortified wafers, enough to distribute to our beneficiary preschool children until the end of January 2008, are in Gaza. We also have delivered, at the end of October, 76,000 cartons of fortified milk - a five-day supply. Additionally, ANERA has delivered over $2 million worth of donated medical supplies into Gaza in October.
Though it is excellent news that we have succeeded in making these deliveries, we still face obstacles. Our partner in providing milk shipments has indicated that although they have met all the conditions for bringing the next shipment into Gaza, it has been delayed at the border.
With the situation getting worse, the cost of these political obstacles in humanitarian as well as financial terms is impossible to calculate. It is all the more imperative that we, in solidarity with Salah and all Gazan families, continue to chip away at this border bureaucracy.
One thing that doesn't get held up by border bureaucracy is direct relief through monetary aid. ANERA responds inside of Gaza's borders, for instance, by installing sanitary landfills, dealing with sewage spills and the lack of potable water, removing piles of rotting garbage, and controlling rats in densely populated areas.
As always, we are approaching this crisis from every angle, determined to take positive steps wherever we can.
