Location: Gaza Sript - Palestinian

Local Partner: HDIP (Institute for Health Information and Policy Development)

Justification: From TAU was developed a cooperation project with HDIP, the Palestinian local partner, last year. This organization is an example of how civil society and media for processing alternatives in this complex and harsh realities of the West Bank and Gaza. They are an independent Palestinian organization nonprofit that over the years has broadened its scope, specializing in research, study and implementation of policies that contribute to structural and integral development of Palestinian society through the comprehensive knowledge of available resources in every Palestinian town and, simultaneously, the implementation of development projects and training particularly vulnerable groups such as women and youth in different fields of health, job skills / training and productive.

At the same time actively engaged in building a truly democratic political system in Palestine, seeking and getting in part a stronger civil society and stable, which is based on values of solidarity and justice. They have pretty good organization and also conduct campaigns awareness regarding human rights, nonviolence and democracy.

Only recently they launched a cry for help about what they were suffering in Gaza, HDIP told us in their email that is "a real humanitarian disaster and more people die every hour, others lost loved ones, others become physical disabilities for life and many more develop serious psychological trauma, while humanitarian organizations and people in solidarity work continuously to help in the disaster. HDIP is working closely with people and their bases, the scale of the disaster is too great to be able to respond from a single entity or group of persons, can not be done alone and they say we need your support."

The offense of destruction by Israel in the Gaza Strip began on 27 December and has continued, leaving death, destruction and intense suffering on civilians mainly, people who suffer from intense siege for over a year and a half. "For most people in Gaza is too late or very little that they can provide for the health sector has collapsed, unable to respond to the tragic situation they have. There is no capacity in the area to meet so many deaths, much of the infrastructure have been destroyed. Besides all this, thirty-nine schools and schools are damaged or destroyed by bombing, which has made paralyze the functioning of the system education. Everything must be rebuilt and will work hard to make, will cost significant money and resources of all kinds to it. t is hard to see how children and young people will have severe delays in their studies for this systematic destruction of schools and training centers.

In summary, the humanitarian situation is deplorable and untenable. Not only hospitals, mosques or schools, also houses the population has been wiped out. The general necessity for survival is very high. And support is urgently needed foreign aid to alleviate the suffering of the million and half people who are under fire and Israeli attacks in Gaza.

HDIP requests support for the people of Gaza in two specific areas: personal aid for the provision of food, clothing, shelter, medicine and housing reconstruction, education by providing school supplies and rebuilding schools. And they thank on behalf of women, men and children of Gaza to get some help.

In response to this call has been made economic emergency assistance to be managed directly from HDIP, considering that any international support and assistance must be channeled through the Palestinian institutions and local authorities, who are better placed to know the situation and needs, besides being in charge of providing essential services like health and education identified, regardless of which party is in power. We think we should be united and cooperate, especially since the impartiality possible and based on the real needs of the population, rather than as a political tool to pressure one sector or another.

Beneficiary population: People who have suffered the Israeli attacks in Gaza

Project duration: year 2009

Budget and funding: 18,000 €