Dear Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak,
In August 2009, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Jerusalem released a report detailing the humanitarian issues that Israel's sanctions are creating for the people of Gaza.
[Your comment will be inserted here]
One of the most critical pieces of this crisis is the shortage of clean water in Gaza. OCHA estimates that more than 10,000 Gaza residents do not have taps anywhere near their homes, and that about 60 percent of Gaza residents do not have reliable access to water at all.
In September of this year, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories Maxwell Gaylard recommended the loosening of the sanctions on Gaza in order to bring in materials for the repair and construction of water sanitation facilities.
We are not asking for a complete removal of the sanctions. But if these sanctions are intended to make sure Gaza residents have access to humanitarian support, then it is necessary that they be loosened in order to provide residents with materials for these sanitation facilities. This action must be taken before the situation gets worse.
According to the Gaza Coastal Municipal Water Utility, only five-to-ten percent of Gaza's groundwater is potable. If pollution of this water continues, it will not be suitable for human use by the year 2014. This is a critical situation, and needs to be addressed immediately.
We urge you to allow materials into Gaza for the construction and repair of water sanitation facilities, for the sake of Gaza's citizens.
Thank you for your time.