THE MIDDLE EAST: The Irish Red Cross today winds up a mission to the West Bank and Israel aimed at assessing the needs of civilians who have been caught up in the recent conflict.
The chairman of the Red Cross, former minister Mr David Andrews, headed the team which included Mrs Carmel Dunne, acting secretary general, and Ms Aoife MacEoin, national communications officer. The visit was co-ordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The Irish mission toured battered Bethlehem on Saturday morning. Mr Andrews was struck by the destruction wrought in the streets leading to the Church of the Nativity, revered as the birthplace of Jesus, and expressed concern over the health hazard posed by mounds of rotting refuse.
In the afternoon the team visited Ramallah for a meeting with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS). In reply to a question put by Mr Andrews, the director, Dr Yunis al-Khatib, said: "There is no way that we can get rid of the garbage from the centre of Bethlehem until the curfew is lifted and the Israeli army withdraws. The people who clean the streets cannot get to work or do any serious clearing of the garbage in the three or four hour period the curfew is off."
Dr Khatib continued, "The situation in Bethlehem is better than that in the villages which are totally cut off. Our medical staff cannot get to the villages, ambulances are blocked and fired upon. At times when they can move, an ambulance may take three hours to get to a patient and three hours to get back to the medical centre. Of our 250 emergency medical staff, 190 have been fired upon, four killed and 40 arrested.
"Since the Israeli offensive began at the end of March, 36 women have delivered babies at checkpoints, three died and four infants died, 21 babies have been delivered by telephone."
Yesterday the mission made the long journey to Jenin where a tour of the devastated refugee camp had been organised. Mr Andrews was very moved by the ravaged site. "This place is absolutely appalling and quite shocking," he said.
"I have been to a number of places in the recent past which do not compare. It reminded me of Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Centre, which I visited last December with \ Mary Robinson", who heads the Human Rights Commission.
"In some ways this was worse. According to UN estimates, the cost of reinstating Jenin will be $35 million. That may well be an underestimate."
Mr Andrews said that the Irish Red Cross intends to launch a broad appeal for funds which will be channelled to specific projects identified by the ICRC.
Today, Mrs Dunne and Ms MacEoin will meet the Israeli humanitarian aid organisation, the Magen David Adom.