Reading the latest Ngo report on Gaza provides a grimacing read. Excerpts quoted below are from 'Dashed Hopes - Continuation of Gaza Blockade' - an informative read.
The full report can be downloaded by clicking this link and scrolling to the bottom of this page > mistngo.org/palestine
'Dashed Hopes' recalibrates the picture in Gaza since statements made by the Israeli Security Cabinet - Meeting, 20 June 2010: Israeli Security Cabinet Statement 20 June
"Israel has imposed a general ban on the passage of people from Gaza to the West Bank, including students, since 2000. Israel is only permitting the exit of students with scholarships at universities in selected ‘friendly’ countries, but not students enrolled at universities without scholarships or in other countries. Since the ‘easing’ and as the new academic year began, no change to that policy has been observed."
MiST have worked determinedly to establish high quality medical education IN the Gaza region. Securing our first educational base at the European Gaza Hospital to teach quality assured diplomas in partnership with Edge Hill University, Manchester, UK.
By concentrating the development of local infrastructures and investing in the education of local people, MiST hope to bypass much of the political wrangling that occurs when exporting students and patients.
"Despite the Israeli authorities’ commitment in the 20 June announcement to streamline entry and exit permits to and from Gaza for medical and humanitarian reasons and for aid workers, there has been so far no tangible improvement in practice. On the contrary, there has been a decrease in the rate of permit approvals for entry or exit of UN agencies’ national humanitarian staff. Permit policy for aid workers and medical patients remains arbitrary, unpredictable and time consuming."
MiST regularly send expert medics from around the world to Palestinian territories, sometimes encountering problems securing entry for medics without traditional UK names. Entry to Gaza is never straight forward. Although this report does highlight some improvements in passage for some...
"The sole significant positive change in the area of freedom of movement has been an approximately fourfold increase in the numbers of businesspeople allowed to leave and enter Gaza via the Erez crossing."
MiST are working to improve surgical and medical standards in Palestine through provision of expert treatment and medical education. Along the way MiST are contributing to easing passage restrictions for humanitarian aid workers and providing/developing quality healthcare so travel for locals is not required.
There are limited opportunities to comfort ourselves with 'success' in the Palestinian region of Gaza, but this report is a reminder of how MiST are productively shaping infrastructural assets for the future where resources are decaying and finite.
