Gaza blockade threatens health of 1.4 million

The health of 1.4 million people is being put at risk by the ongoing Israeli and Egyptian blockade of Gaza, a report by more than 80 humanitarian organizations warned today. The aid groups, including the World Health Organization and UN agencies, said more than one-fifth of sick Palestinians who needed to leave the territory for treatment in Israel had either been refused or had their applications delayed. The groups called on Israel and Egypt to open the border crossings with Gaza. Max Gaylard, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said the blockade undermined the local healthcare system and put lives at risk. "It is causing ongoing deterioration in the social, economic and environmental determinants of health," he said. "It is hampering the provision of medical supplies and the training of health staff, and it is preventing patients with serious medical conditions from getting timely specialized treatment."