HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN BEIT HANOUN

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 004772 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/STEINGER; PRM FOR PDAS GREENE AND PRM/ANE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS; TREASURY FOR SZUBIN/LOEFFLER/NUGENT/HIRSON; BRUSSELS FOR LERNER; PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM EAID ECON KWBG SUBJECT: HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN BEIT HANOUN REF: JERUSALEM 04756 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: DURING THE IDF'S NOVEMBER 1-8 INCURSION INTO BEIT HANOUN (SEE REFTEL),THE AREA'S WATER AND ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE WAS DAMAGED AND AN IDF-IMPOSED CURFEW ON RESIDENTS PREVENTED THEM FROM OBTAINING ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES. DURING THE INCURSION, THE IDF GRANTED ACCESS TO BEIT HANOUN FOR THREE MAJOR HUMANITARIAN CONVOYS, INCLUDING UN AGENCIES AND THE ICRC, WHICH DELIVERED WATER, FOOD, GASOLINE AND HEALTH CARE SUPPLIES TO THE RESIDENTS OF BEIT HANOUN. OCHA ESTIMATED NOVEMBER 9 THAT WATER AND ELECTRICITY NETWORKS IN BEIT HANOUN SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY NOVEMBER 11. END SUMMARY. ELECTRICITY -------------- ¶2. (SBU) DURING THE IDF INCURSION NOVEMBER 1-8, USAID GAZA-BASED STAFF REPORTED THAT HALF OF BEIT HANOUN'S POPULATION WAS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY DUE TO DAMAGE TO ELECTRICAL PYLONS AND THE ELECTRICITY NETWORK IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. ACCORDING TO A NOVEMBER 9 OCHA REPORT, ICRC FACILITATED THE PASSAGE OF ENGINEERS FROM THE GAZA ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANY (GEDCO) INTO BEIT HANOUN NOVEMBER 2 TO CONDUCT REPAIRS, RESTORING 40 PERCENT OF THE NETWORK DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF THE INCURSION. HOWEVER, DURING THE SUBSEQUENT PERIOD, FURTHER DAMAGE BY ISRAELI TANKS RESULTED IN ADDITIONAL OUTAGES. AS A RESULT, THE BEIT HANOUN HOSPITAL RELIED ON ITS GENERATOR POWER AND FUEL SUPPLIED BY ICRC. OCHA ESTIMATED IN ITS NOVEMBER 9 REPORT THAT THE ELECTRICAL NETWORK SHOULD BE RESTORED BY NOVEMBER 11. WATER -------------- ¶3. (SBU) DUE TO DAMAGE TO THE WATER NETWORK AND A LACK OF ELECTRICITY TO POWER THE WATER PUMPS AT FOUR OF THE FIVE MAIN WELLS IN BEIT HANOUN, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT WATER FOR BEIT HANOUN RESIDENTS DURING THE IDF INCURSION. ICRC DELIVERED 17,000 LITERS OF WATER TO SIX LOCATIONS IN BEIT HANOUN ON NOVEMBER 3, WHILE UNRWA PROVIDED 30,000 LITERS OF TANKERED WATER. NGOS, INCLUDING ISLAMIC RELIEF AND SAVE THE CHILDREN, ALSO PROVIDED BOTTLED WATER, ACCORDING TO OCHA'S REPORT. UNRWA ALSO PROVIDED ONE WEEK'S SUPPLY OF FUEL TO POWER ONE OF THE BEIT HANOUN WELLS WHICH SERVES 20 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION. ACCORDING TO OCHA, THE WATER NETWORK IN BEIT HANOUN SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY NOVEMBER 11. FOOD -------------- ¶4. (SBU) THE IDF-IMPOSED CURFEW ON BEIT HANOUN PREVENTED FAMILIES FROM GATHERING ADDITIONAL FOOD SUPPLIES. HOWEVER, THE IDF LIFTED THE CURFEW EVERY SECOND DAY FOR A FEW HOURS SO RESIDENTS COULD PURCHASE FOOD OR PICK-UP FOOD ASSISTANCE PACKAGES. THREE HUMANITARIAN CONVOYS, INCLUDING UN AGENCIES AND THE ICRC, DELIVERED SUPPLIES TO BEIT HANOUN ON NOVEMBER 3, 4, AND 6, INCLUDING FOOD, POTABLE WATER, HEALTH CARE SUPPLIES AND FUEL. OCHA REPORTED NOVEMBER 9 THAT MANY COMMERCIAL SUPPLIERS FROM OTHER PARTS OF GAZA HAD APPEARED UNWILLING TO ENTER BEIT HANOUN TO PROVIDE REPLACEMENT FOOD SUPPLIES BECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED THEIR STOCKS COULD BE SEIZED BY RESIDENTS. HEALTH -------------- ¶5. (SBU) UNRWA HEALTH CARE FACILITIES WERE CLOSED FROM OCTOBER 31 TO THE END OF THE INCURSION DUE TO THE IDF-IMPOSED CURFEW WHICH PREVENTED MEDICAL CARE PERSONNEL FROM REACHING THEIR WORKPLACES. MEDICAL TRANSFERS OUT OF BEIT HANOUN REQUIRED COOPERATION WITH THE IDF, WHICH, IN CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL CASES, CAUSED SOME DELAY. ACCORDING TO OCHA, UP TO 1500 PEOPLE SOUGHT REFUGE IN BEIT HANOUN HOSPITAL ON NOVEMBER 3, STRAINING THE HOSPITALS ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES. ¶6. (SBU) AT AN OCHA-CONVENED NOVEMBER 5 MEETING WITH DONORS AND NGOS IN GAZA, CARE INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCED THAT THEY HAD PROVIDED 25 UNITS OF OXYGEN REGULATORS, FROM THEIR OWN FUNDS, TO BEIT HANOUN HOSPITAL, IN ADDITION TO OTHER MEDICAL SUPPLIES. UNICEF REPORTED THAT IT HAD PROVIDED 100 FAMILY WATER AND BABY HYGIENE KITS. WFP SAID IT WOULD DISTRIBUTE ANOTHER 3,000 FOOD PARCELS, IN ADDITION TO FRESH VEGETABLES. USAID HAS AUTHORIZED CARE TO CONDUCT ASSESSMENTS AT TWO MOH HOSPITALS IN THE BEIT HANOUN AREA IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHAT NEEDS MIGHT BE FULFILLED THROUGH USAID'S EMAP PROGRAM. WALLES