Gaza starving under "Israeli" siege

Source: Presstv.ir, 14-11-2008
The United Nations is forced to suspend food distribution in the Gaza Strip as "Israel" has kept border crossings with the Strip closed.
"They have told us the crossings are closed today. At the end of today we will suspend our food distribution," UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) spokesman Chris Gunness was quoted by AFP as saying.
"Our warehouses are effectively empty," Gunness said adding that "Pushing people to the brink of desperation every few months and forcing UNRWA into yet another cycle of crisis management is not in the interest of anyone who believes in peace, moderation and stability."
The regime has kept its border crossings with the coastal strip closed over the past week in response to what it called 'rocket attacks by Palestinian groups'.
It also cut off European Union-funded fuel supplies to Gaza's sole power plant on Thursday, prompting it to close down for want of diesel.
"It is completely shut down," Palestinian Energy Authority official Qanaan Obeid told AFP.
The plant, which provides between a quarter and a third of Gaza's power, shut down on Monday after "Israel" cut off fuel deliveries.
"Every day the situation is getting more and more precarious for Gazans," ICRC mission Chief Katharina Ritz said, adding that there was a desperate need for medical supplies.
"Israeli" war ministry spokesman Peter Lerner however said the tight siege on the coastal territory will be continued.
Gaza residents have been subject to an "Israeli" blockade since June 2007. "Israel" has restricted the entry of vital goods, including food, fuel, medical supplies and construction materials into the coastal strip.
As a result, a number of Palestinian patients die every month because the siege prevents the sick from getting help from outside the impoverished region.