Dubai: An international relief agency executive called on the international community to help children in Gaza, whom he said are literally facing extinction as a result of almost two years of an Israeli blockade against the strip.
Steve Sosebee, president and chief executive of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), told Gulf News the UN, the US and the EU should help children in Gaza who are faced with extremely severe conditions.
"This call should not be taken in its humanitarian context with no political perspective. I am worried about the children in Gaza," Sosebee said.
PCRF is a registered non-political, non-profit, tax-exempt organisation established in 1991 by concerned people in the US to address the medical and humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian youths in the Middle East.
The fund helps to locate free medical care for children in Palestine and the rest of the Middle East who are unable to get the necessary and specialised treatment in their homeland.
Lack of medicines
Sosebee who is currently in Dubai along with a group of Palestinian children to get treatment in hospitals here, said the problem with the blockade against Gaza was not the shortage of food and other basic necessities, but the lack of medicines and medical care necessary for complicated cases.
He said the group, which will be treated in Dubai in cooperation with the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, was selected from amongst the children who lost their limbs in military attacks or in accidents.
The local charity organisation will foot the costs of the operations and the equipment needed for the children so as to minimise their dependance on others in their daily lives.
The victims were selected from different West Bank and Gaza cities.
Unfortunately seven children from group were unable to reach the group on time before it departed for Dubai because of the blockade imposed recently by Israeli troops.
A US citizen, Sosebee said he was ashamed by his government's stance towards suffering children in Gaza who are not getting any protection or assistance from the international community.
"Frankly speaking, I don't see any reason why the United States did not put enough pressure on Israel to ease up the blockade against Palestinian in Gaza.
"The blockade being imposed for years is not to do with fuel and food. It is against medicine and medical treatment and in many cases we see people suffering or even losing their lives just because of the embargo.
"This is not acceptable and the new administration should not hesitate to ask Israel to abide with international laws," he said.
"What is happening in Gaza is a crime against humanity and the children who suffer there - regardless of who is to blame because of the situation - will not forgive the UN and the international community," Steve said.
"I am an American citizen and I know that my government always tries to look at the situation in Gaza from a different view.
"But, as a human being, I don't believe that what is happening in the strip is acceptable against any group of children in the world regardless of nationality, religion and the political views concerning the conflict," he said.
He thanked Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and his charity for being supportive of the PCRF projects.
