Report on Palestinian Health Care released

Lancet, a British public health journal, released yesterday a series of reports entitled Health in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which examine the health situation in the West Bank and Gaza. The five reports cover the status of health in the OPT, maternal and pediatric health, common diseases, health as a security issue, and a health-care system assessment for the occupied Palestinian territories and take into consideration issues such as security, the availability of resources, the various conflicts between Israel and Palestinian organizations, the blockade of Gaza, and the occupation of Israeli troops. The series was compiled as a joint effort by health scientists in the OPT, together with help from WHO, associated UN agencies, and academic institutions in the USA, UK, Norway, and France.

It makes claim that the security threats to the region originate, at least partially, in constraints imposed by Israel such as checkpoints and border closings which prevent access for patients and medics, create a shortage of medical supplies, and “affect every aspect of Palestinian life, such as the ability to travel, work, marry, study, worship, and be with family…[thereby] compromis[ing] the social determinants of health by increasing social exclusion, unemployment, and creating barriers to food, social support and transport.

The reports also discuss how the armed conflicts in the area have negative mental health impacts in children. Studies done even before the recent conflict illustrated the traumatic effects that witnessing brutally violent acts can have on children, resulting in “behavioral problems, fears, speech difficulties, anxiety, anger, sleeping difficulties, lack of concentration at school, and difficulties in completing homework. In order to solve the health crisis in the region, the series calls for a just political and economic solution, claiming that if international laws were respected and enforced, they could “protect Palestinians from insecurity

The full series can be found at www.thelancet.com(free registration is required).

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9 thoughts on “Report on Palestinian Health Care released

  1. This footage is showing and explaining in full clarity what is really going on in Gaza and how Hamas terrorists operate from the midst of civilian neighborhood, schools and mosques and how they used a United Nations school as shelter while firing mortar bombs at Israeli soldiers, thus endangering Palestinian civilians.

    This clip actually shows a missile being fired directly from the school itself, while U.N. representatives in Gaza and around the world protect the terrorists and criticize Israel for "bombing innocent schoolchildren" in their schools.

    Click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sznMP3dnCg&fe

    Mark Bernadiner, PH.D.

    Texas

  2. This footage is showing and explaining in full clarity what is really going on in Gaza and how Hamas terrorists operate from the midst of civilian neighborhood, schools and mosques and how they used a United Nations school as shelter while firing mortar bombs at Israeli soldiers, thus endangering Palestinian civilians.

    This clip actually shows a missile being fired directly from the school itself, while U.N. representatives in Gaza and around the world protect the terrorists and criticize Israel for "bombing innocent schoolchildren" in their schools.

    Click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sznMP3dnCg&fe

    Mark Bernadiner, PH.D.

    Texas

  3. This footage is showing and explaining in full clarity what is really going on in Gaza and how Hamas terrorists operate from the midst of civilian neighborhood, schools and mosques and how they used a United Nations school as shelter while firing mortar bombs at Israeli soldiers, thus endangering Palestinian civilians.

    This clip actually shows a missile being fired directly from the school itself, while U.N. representatives in Gaza and around the world protect the terrorists and criticize Israel for "bombing innocent schoolchildren" in their schools.

    Click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sznMP3dnCg&fe

    Mark Bernadiner, PH.D.

    Texas

  4. This footage is showing and explaining in full clarity what is really going on in Gaza and how Hamas terrorists operate from the midst of civilian neighborhood, schools and mosques and how they used a United Nations school as shelter while firing mortar bombs at Israeli soldiers, thus endangering Palestinian civilians.

    This clip actually shows a missile being fired directly from the school itself, while U.N. representatives in Gaza and around the world protect the terrorists and criticize Israel for “bombing innocent schoolchildren” in their schools.

    Click on:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sznMP3dnCg&feature=PlayList&p=24B346594DCE3F37&index=5

    Mark Bernadiner, PH.D.

    Texas

  5. Mark Bernadiner – the clip you provided was actually proven to be from October 2007, not January 2009.

    There is no question that Hamas, like other organizations, has fired from civilian centers even if the clip you provided is old. These actions by Hamas cannot be used to justify attacks on civilians sites or the killing of civilians though.

    Although int'l law allows that civilians will die during conflicts, some basic rules of war are defined which all parties to this conflict were required to follow and both sides failed to do on some instances.

    Israeli forces misused 'area' or imprecise weaponry, such as mortars, artillery and white phosphorous fire which increased civilian casualties and injuries unnecessarily. Fact.

    Israeli forces also used precision weaponry directly on civilians in too many instances to categorize as an aberration. Time after time, precision weaponry, which is not controlled by one individual but up a chain of command, killed civilians not participating in any hostilities. Fact.

    Hamas and other armed groups fired rockets at civilian centers in southern Israel that killed Israeli civilians not taking part in any hostilities. Fact.

  6. Mark Bernadiner – the clip you provided was actually proven to be from October 2007, not January 2009.

    There is no question that Hamas, like other organizations, has fired from civilian centers even if the clip you provided is old. These actions by Hamas cannot be used to justify attacks on civilians sites or the killing of civilians though.

    Although int’l law allows that civilians will die during conflicts, some basic rules of war are defined which all parties to this conflict were required to follow and both sides failed to do on some instances.

    Israeli forces misused ‘area’ or imprecise weaponry, such as mortars, artillery and white phosphorous fire which increased civilian casualties and injuries unnecessarily. Fact.

    Israeli forces also used precision weaponry directly on civilians in too many instances to categorize as an aberration. Time after time, precision weaponry, which is not controlled by one individual but up a chain of command, killed civilians not participating in any hostilities. Fact.

    Hamas and other armed groups fired rockets at civilian centers in southern Israel that killed Israeli civilians not taking part in any hostilities. Fact.

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