FoEME Press Release:

 

Friends of the Earth Middle East calls on the Israeli
Government to supply medicines, water and food to Palestinian towns, villages
and refugee camps under siege (FoEME, 06/04/02).

 

 Infrastructure providing water and
electricity to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians has been severely
damaged under this latest military action. Civilians are suffering from a
severe shortage of water. The sick and injured have had no access to medical
care and the piling up of garbage risks the outbreak of an epidemic.
Additionally, food is in short supply, and in many cases, even when the curfew
is lifted for a few hours, nearby stores are out of food to sell.

 

FoEME calls for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces
from all Palestinian autonomous areas, and for a lifting of the siege imposed
on the movement of Palestinian civilians, which has been in place for the last
18 months. We call upon the Israeli Military to send water-tankers immediately
to supply water to disconnected communities, to allow ambulances to operate
freely, to deliver food to stores and to repair the damage caused to the water
networks and other infrastructure. Further, we call on the Israeli forces to
cease in their use of civilians as shields for their military actions. Human
rights must be respected under all circumstances.   

 

Friends
of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), is a regional environmental organization of
Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians working together to promote sustainable
development and peace building through environmental awareness. Visit our
website at: http://www.foeme.org style='color:red'>