Red Cross Chief: Gaza is Hell on Earth as Aid Runs Critically Low

By Staff, Agencies

Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, cautioned that  “We are now finding ourselves in a situation that I have to describe as hell on earth ...People don't have access to water, electricity, food, in many parts.”

No new humanitarian supplies have entered the Palestinian enclave since "Israel" blocked the entry of aid trucks on March 2, as talks stalled on the next stage of a now broken truce. "Israel" resumed its military assault on March 18.

"Israel's" Foreign Ministry said 25000 aid trucks had entered Gaza in the 42 days of the ceasefire and that Hamas had used the aid to rebuild its war machine, an allegation which the group has denied.

Spoljaric said supplies were running critically low, "For six weeks, nothing has come in, so we will, in a couple of weeks' time, run out of supplies that we need to keep the hospital going," she said.

The World Health Organization said supplies of antibiotics and blood bags were dwindling fast. Twenty-two out of 36 hospitals in the enclave are only minimally functional, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn told reporters in Geneva via video link in Jerusalem.

Spoljaric also raised concern about the safety of humanitarian operations saying, "It is extremely dangerous for the population to move, but it's especially also dangerous for us to operate."

In March, the bodies of 15 emergency and aid workers, including eight members of the Palestinian Red Crescent, were found buried in a mass grave in southern Gaza; the U.N. and Red Crescent accused the IOF of the act.

Spoljaric called for an immediate ceasefire in order to release the remaining captives and to address grave humanitarian issues in Gaza.