Gaza now at ‘crisis point’ as over 200,000 displaced
The Disasters and Emergencies Committee has said the humanitarian situation in Gaza has now reached ‘crisis point’ with hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need of food, water, shelter and medical care.
Britain has responded by sending a team of NHS medical experts while the Department for International Development (DfID) has matched £2 million raised by the British public in 24 hours.
Downing Street said that staff would be flying to the region in the next 48 hours to help treat those caught up in the crisis, as a three-day ceasefire resumed.
Get The Jewish News Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The conflict in Gaza has taken a terrible toll. The UK has been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts to help those affected and it is right that we see what more we can do.
“The NHS has always stepped up to the plate to help those in need and this expert team will play a crucial role in helping hundreds caught up in this conflict.”
The Government has activated its International Emergency Trauma Register to put together a team made up of doctors, nurses, surgeons, anaesthetists and paramedics from the specialities of emergency medicine, orthopaedic trauma surgery and plastic surgery.
Downing Street said that they would will initially be based with Medical Aid for Palestinians at Al Mokassed hospital in East Jerusalem.
Once access to Gaza becomes possible, the intention is that they should move their operation into the enclave.
Although their primary objective will be to treat people in the region, No 10 said they would also be looking at how they could help those – especially children – in need of highly complex treatments that are unavailable locally, including through specialist capabilities in the UK.
The medics are being funded by UK aid from the Department for International Development and the deployment will be made through the UK International Emergency Trauma Register.
A Government spokesman said: “The register was launched by the International Development Secretary Justine Greening in December 2012 and enables British medical experts to provide humanitarian assistance during disasters overseas.
“It is designed specifically to respond to situations where surgical expertise is required and means the UK provides a timely and co-ordinated response to rapid-onset disasters. Other recent deployments include responding to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in November last year.”
Ms Greening said: “A month of violence in Gaza has left people in desperate need of immediate medical help. Every day of continuing violence adds to that.
“DfID has now activated the International Emergency Trauma Register to get NHS medical experts where they are needed most. The volunteers on the register are experts in working in the most challenging conditions and will help hundreds of Gazans caught up in this violence.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)