Brussels, 13/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - The humanitarian needs which are crucial to Gaza and the West Bank will be at the heart of the joint visit by European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva and United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos to the occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel from 14 to 17 May.
Commissioner Georgieva and Baroness Amos will gather first-hand information on the current humanitarian needs, and will reiterate the commitment of the European Union and UN OCHA to assist the most vulnerable Palestinians. They will underline the need for improved humanitarian access to the people in need across the Gaza Strip, and the importance of respecting international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict. During their visit, they will meet representatives of the most vulnerable sections of the population (in particular in the West Bank's area C, in Gaza and in East Jerusalem). Meetings will also be held with key humanitarian partners of the European Commission, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNICEF and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, and high-level Israeli officials.
Without forgetting the psychological impact of the humanitarian crisis. “While all eyes are set on the tremendous changes happening on the political scene with the Arab spring and the inter-Palestinian reconciliation, we must not forget the humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory. A large portion of the Palestinian population still lives in dire conditions and relies on external humanitarian assistance. The access to basic resources and services is restricted for many inhabitants of the West Bank, and even more so for those living in Gaza”, said Georgieva on Friday. She added: “Attention often focuses on the material dimension of the humanitarian crisis but less so on the psychological impact it has on the people living there, particularly on the children”. Her greatest hope is that “humanitarian aid quickly becomes superfluous as prospects for economic development and for peace turn into concrete reality”. Until that happens, “it is our duty to continue to assist people in need and demonstrate European solidarity with them”, the commissioner said before setting off. (A.N./transl.rt)