LOC15:01
12:01 GMT
(With photos)
GENEVA, July 1 (KUNA) -- UN Under-Secretary-General for Humaniitarian
Affairs and UN Coordinator for the food crisis John Holmes said Tuesday that
the policy adopted is of continued pressure on the government of Israel to
allow a much freer flow of humanitarian and commercial goods in order to allow
the Palestinian people to breath and bring an end to a policy that "we" have
described as that of collective punishment.
In response to questions from reporters, Holmes explained that his
department has intensive discussions with the Israelis on what is going in and
about the right amounts of medical assistance needed.
"This blockade, this isolation is wrong, should be relaxed and much
humanitarian as well as commercial assistance must be allowed as soon as
possible," he stressed.
Holmes said, in a news conference today, that if the truce can help with
that, so be it, but even if a truce was not there humanitarian aide must
certainly be delivered.
On the food assistance situation in the occupied Palestinian territories
(oPt), Holmes said there will be a revised appeal for the oPt in two weeks
time within the mid-term review of the UN consolidated appeal for all affected
countries.
He added that the food crisis is hitting hard Gaza where there are enormous
problems.
Holmes said that there will have to mobilize a large amount of new
resources just to tackle the symptoms of the food crisis. (end)
hn.bz.
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