March-April Re-Occupation: UPMRC Response
to the Current Crisis
Since the beginning of the current humanitarian
crisis in the Palestinian Territories caused by the latest Israeli invasion
on the 29th of March, Medical Relief has been one of the few medical organisations
that has been able to operate despite the violent Israeli attacks on and
blatant disregard of the protected status of emergency medical personnel
and ambulances. The curfew imposed on the Palestinian re-occupied towns,
the attacks on medical personnel and ambulances, the attacks on hospitals
and clinics, and arrests of emergency medical workers have more or less
paralysed the health system in Palestine, both because of the strict curfew
imposed on the towns and their population, and because of the denied access
and attacks on medical teams and infrastructures. The number of Palestinians
killed exceeds now 300, with at least 2000 injured people in 12 days, which
represents a very heavy and all-too-sudden burden on medical infrastructures.
Towns Invaded | Date |
Ramallah | March 29, 2002 |
Beit Jalla | April 1, 2002 |
Qalqiliya | April 1, 2002 |
Tulkarem | April 2, 2002 |
Beit Lehem and Beit Sahour | April 2, 2002 |
Salfit | April 3, 2002 |
Nablus | April 3, 2002 |
Jenin | April 3, 2002 |
Hebron (partially) | April 4, 2002 |
Qabatiyah | April 6, 2002 |
Yatta | April 6, 2002 |
Dura | April 9, 2002 |
Bir Zeit | April 11, 2002 |
Thanks to the bravery of the teams and the contribution of numerous volunteers UPMRC has been able to gather through its various grassroots activities, Medical Relief has been able to overcome some of the obstacles the Israeli army has imposed in its attempt to prevent medical assistance to the injured and sick. UPMRC has adapted new strategies (field hospitals and intense cooperation with partner medical organisations) and conducted intensive work with media and with international organisations. This has made it possible for UPMRC to operate, function and to provide medical services, although with a limited and redefined scope.
Infrastructures -- An overview
Out of the 25 primary health care centres run by UPMRC throughout Palestine, 23 have remained opened and are offering medical services to some extent. A number of these clinics are under curfew, though they still operate as much as possible, whenever the curfew has been lifted or when the movement of UPMRC ambulances has allowed it. Our centre in Qalqilya was attacked and partially destroyed in the first day of occupation; it was later turned into an interrogating and detention location for the Israeli forces. In Ramallah, our main health centre was deliberately shelled and two rooms were destroyed with explosives. The material losses are significant, but the staff have managed to perform their work in other locations. The Youth centre was ransacked and many of its computers were destroyed. Both the Medical Equipment Loan centre and Optometry centre suffered extensive damages. Israeli attacks also destroyed three of our vehicles and damaged two ambulances. Whenever Israeli troops begin their effective and full-range withdrawal, UPMRC fears to find other and more extensive damages to its buildings (like during the previous occupation in February, where the School of Community Health building sustained heavy damages from the Israeli troops' wanton behaviours and destructions).
In the last 14 days 65 attacks against UPMRC medical services or personnel. These attacks have included: numerous ambulances shot at, ambulance driver detained for 6 days, director of emergency services used as a "human shield" by Israeli forces during searches. Moreover, three cars were destroyed, and three ambulances were damaged.
How the UPMRC has been operating since the invasion (March 29, 2002):
- Transportation of injured and dead people
from attacked areas. This is done with great difficulties because of the
systematic obstruction and violation of humanitarian law by Israeli occupying
troops.
- Six Field Hospitals were established
in the first days of March in Nablus where heavy fighting was expected.
They have all been used, but the activities have concentrated mostly on
the field hospitals in Al-Baik Mosque, in the Old City, and in Askar refugee
camp. No medical supplies have been allowed in yet to those field hospitals.
On Tuesday night (09-04), the medical team of the Old City field hospital
courageously broke the curfew to evacuate corpses gathering there for 7
days. They took enormous risks (the curfew had not been lifted and took
the soldiers by surprise) to transport the dead bodies towards the main
road, by whatever means possible, outside the Casbah, so that the medical
and ICRC teams could evacuate them properly.
- A new medical centre was established
in Ramallah. Helped by 3 ambulances (two rented ambulances on top of our
own ambulance) covering three different parts of Ramallah, our staff provides
services and counselling to people who telephone from their homes. In Betlehem,
the Medical Relief office there has been transformed into a medical center
providing first aid.
- Distribution of medical supplies and
equipment to hospitals e.g Mizan in Hebron and Arab Care in Ramallah. Four
convoys of medication were brought in, thanks to the help of UN organisations
(Ramallah -- 02-04), Israeli Physicians for Human Rights (Ramallah 03-04
and Jenin 10-04) and various international organisations (Nablus 09- 04).
Ramallah was the first town to be reinvaded, but in preparation for other
invasions in other cities throughout the West Bank, Medical Relief stockpiled
as many medications as possible to our health centres, in order to be able
to face dire situations imposed by future curfews and violent re-occupation.
- During curfew, Medical Relief tries
to distribute medicines and medication to people in need, particularly
to children, the disabled and patients with chronic diseases who are dependent
on regular medication. This can only be done during lulls in fighting and
Israeli operations and thanks to our broad grassroots network.
- Distribution of food supplies and water,
milk (especially baby milk) in hospitals and in our health centres. UPMRC
has been the only organization distributing food packages to people house-to-house,
providing for those most in need.
- Informing Palestinian communities of
our newly established emergency centres in each re-occupied city in the
West Bank, field hospitals, and food distribution services through establishing
emergency call-in lines. The media has played an important role in publicizing
these services. UPMRC emergency services have been systematically announced
on local TV stations (as long as they where operational - most of them
has now been taken over by the Israeli army and closed down) and through
satellite TV stations such as Abu Dhabi and Al-Jazeera.
- Informing and mobilising the world community.
As other Palestinian civil society organizations, Medical Relief thinks
it is of prime importance to inform its network of international friends
of what is happening and mobilising support to stop the attacks and support
the distribution of medical assistance. We are also receiving invaluable
support from members of the international community who are present in
Ramallah and voluntarily travel in our ambulances. With the help of these
international volunteers we have been able to impose on the Israeli army
a structure that works and which enables us to carry out our humanitarian
duties/work. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all foreign
medical staff and personnel who are with us during this time of crisis.
- Offering all services free of charge. Due to the harsh economic situation, UPMRC has offered all emergency services free of charge to beneficiaries.
With damages inflicted on our infrastructures (see list), the future work of UPMRC will be hampered with great certainties. We call on the continued support of volunteers from local and foreign groups to support us in this crisis and come out to help our medical teams. We invite individuals and organizations to join our efforts through financial contributions. We also call upon the international community and foreign governments to take immediate action to force Israel to end its attacks on the Palestinian civilian population and to fully respect the international humanitarian law.
Location | Type of damage |
Ramallah health centre | Two rooms totally destroyed by Israeli shelling and bombing. Severe damage to equipment (photocopy machines, computers) and administrative material |
Optometry Centre -- Ramallah | Most of the specialized equipment was totally made unoperational. Walls brought down. Materials damaged |
Loan Centre -- Ramallah | Building damaged. Equipment partially damaged |
Youth Centre -- Ramallah | Building damaged. Some computers destroyed |
Qalqiliya Health Centre | Partially destroyed and used as interrogating centre |
3 ambulances | Damaged |
3 vehicles | Destroyed |