Red Cross Organizations Call for End of Siege

The Palestine Red Crescent published the following statement:

Six European national Red Cross societies, plus ICRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), have appealed for lifting the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and for providing humanitarian support to its residents in view of restoring living conditions and rehabilitating the infrastructure damaged by Israeli attacks.

This appeal followed a meeting of the PRCS Friends Group, held in Geneva on 19 February 2008, with the participation of ICRC, IFRC and the Red Cross Societies of Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, UK, Sweden as well as PRCS.

The meeting, convened at the request of PRCS President, Younis Al Khatib, discussed the humanitarian conditions of Palestinians in the Occupied Territory and the difficulties they face as a result of actions perpetrated by Occupation authorities. Participants mainly focused on the consequences of the blockade imposed on Gaza Strip civilians and the extent of their extreme suffering, especially children.

Read the full statement here >