VZCZCXRO7262
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2315/01 3651620
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301620Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3619
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002315 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND NEA/IPA; PRM FOR PRM/ANE; NSC FOR 
PASCUAL; PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID PHUM KWBG ETRD IS
SUBJECT: GAZA HUMANITARIAN UPDATE -- DECEMBER 30 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  An estimated 100 truckloads of 
humanitarian supplies entered Gaza via Kerem Shalom crossing 
and five truckloads entered through Rafah on December 30, 
according to PA Crossing Authority contacts.  The Gaza power 
plant was forced to shut down its only functioning turbine 
around 0300.  Gaza medical clinics remain underequipped to 
deal with the large number of casualties.  In a briefing to 
donors, UNRWA officials emphasized that access through the 
crossings is the most vital component in meeting humanitarian 
needs in Gaza, and stressed the urgency of opening Karni and 
Nahal Oz for wheat and fuel deliveries.  End Summary. 
 
Humanitarian Access 
------------------- 
¶2. (SBU) Approximately 100 truckloads of humanitarian 
supplies entered Gaza via Kerem Shalom crossing on December 
30, according to PA Crossing Authority contacts. 
Approximately 60 trucks went to UNRWA and other international 
agencies and 40 to the private sector.  Five trucks with 
humanitarian goods entered Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah 
crossing as of 1600, and local press reports additional 
supplies donated by Arab countries are being transferred. 
UNRWA contacts report that its most urgent priority is 
restarting food distribution to 750,000 Gazans and emphasized 
the critical need to open all commercial crossings, 
especially Karni, because of its conveyor system used to 
transport wheat and other bulk items. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The wheat shortage is the most urgent food need in 
Gaza, according to UNRWA.  Bakeries remain closed, and 
UNRWA's emergency food program has been suspended since 
December 18.  Local contacts report few stores in Gaza remain 
open, and food prices have risen beyond already high levels, 
leading to hoarding. 
 
Fuel Shortage 
------------- 
¶4. (SBU) The Gaza power plant was forced to shut down its 
only functioning turbine around 0300 on December 30, 
according to OCHA.  GEDCO (Gaza's main power distributor) 
reports that the average daily power cuts throughout the 
northern half of the strip last up to 16 hours/day.  UNRWA 
reports most locations in northern Gaza have only 4-6 hours 
of electricity; other areas have up to 8 hours.  No fuel 
(petrol or diesel) has entered Gaza through the crossings 
since December 26, and the Gaza Gas Station Owners 
Association reported to OCHA that no fuel has transferred 
through Rafah border tunnels because of IDF attacks. 
 
Medical Update 
-------------- 
¶5. (SBU) Gaza hospitals and clinics remain understaffed and 
underequipped to deal with the large number of casualties. 
The four truckloads of medical supplies that entered on 
December 29 re-supplied 90 or 105 essential medicines, and 
120 of 225 consumable medical items.  However, an ICRC 
spokesman stated publicly that the ICRC remains "in desperate 
need of supplies" and that the organization has received only 
a fraction of its needs.  Dr. Mahmoud al-Khozendar of Gaza 
City's al-Shifa Hospital publicly reported on December 30 
that "people are suffering and dying because of (these) 
shortages."  UNRWA representatives report that those with 
injuries such as shattered bones or torn limbs are being 
turned away because of the lack of capacity to treat them. 
 
Evacuation of Critical Condition Patients 
----------------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) According to UNRWA, the Medical Referral Abroad 
program, managed by the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, has 
been defunct since the medical workers strike in Gaza in 
September.  As a result, few emergency medical cases are 
exiting through Erez to hospitals in Jerusalem or the West 
Bank.  UNRWA reports it took 72 hours to coordinate the exit 
of an UNRWA student with a shrapnel head wound through Erez. 
Embassy Cairo reports around 40 wounded Gazans were allowed 
into Egypt on December 29 for medical treatment. 
 
Cash 
---- 
¶7. (SBU) The shortage of cash in Gaza banks has exacerbated 
the humanitarian situation, according to local contacts. 
UNRWA has nearly 10,000 staff and 7,000 job creation program 
(JCP) beneficiaries, but was unable to pay JCPs and has only 
paid 50% of regular staff salaries in December.  UNRWA was 
forced to stop payments to 94,000 special hardship cases in 
November.  UNRWA's early December request for the GOI to 
permit the transfer of USD 20m and NIS 20m from the West Bank 
 
JERUSALEM 00002315  002 OF 002 
 
 
remains outstanding. 
WALLES