Jan 21, 2009

Bethlehem – Ma’an – An overwhelming 89% of Gaza’s 1.5 million residents have received no humanitarian aid since Israel began its three-week war in December, the international aid agency CARE reported on Wednesday.

CARE conducted a survey among Gaza residents that it says shows that more aid and humanitarian workers are needed in Gaza, and that Israel should "fully open" Gaza’s borders to allow "humanitarian supplies, building materials, and commercial goods into the region."

Another 56% of Gazans are hosting displaced people in their homes, according to the three-day phone survey.

"The survey shows very clearly, however, that the efforts of CARE and the other humanitarian partners have only been scratching the surface," said Martha Myers, CARE International’s Country Director in the West Bank and Gaza.

"In order to meet the overwhelming needs of the population, we must have full access for humanitarian workers and material into and out of the Gaza Strip. A handful of medical staff allowed in over the past three weeks is not enough to rebuild Gaza," added Myers.