Medical Claims On June 30, 2010, PMRS completed the first phase of a project, in collaboration with the Italian political <strong>NGO</strong> Terre de Hommes, “meant to evaluate the physiological conditions of children in the Gaza Strip.” 172 According to a brief item about the study on a pro-Palestinian website, “52% of the children in Gaza suffer from anemia, and severe deficiency in phosphor, calcium and zinc, while a significant number of children suffer from infections in their respiratory systems.” In marketing this project, PMRS repeatedly emphasized the political angle, claiming that the medical problems in Gaza were a direct consequence of the fighting of January 2009 and the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Factors such as “sharp increase of unemployment in the Gaza Strip [that] led to an increase in the number of children who had to do different types of work in order to help their families” and “the ongoing Israeli invasions, bombardment and attacks, especially in border areas” were specifically mentioned. Adnan al-Waheedy, a Gaza representative of PMRS, was quoted as saying that “this project is meant to prevent and stop the deterioration of health and psychological conditions of the children in Gaza living in poverty, under the ongoing Israeli siege and repeated attacks by the Israeli military” (emphasis added). 173 Similarly, in a presentation of the project findings on June 29, 2010, PMRS and Terre de Hommes listed war, violence, security situation, prolonged crisis, economic condition, and social conditions as defining the “context of the Gaza Strip.” 174 172 This project received financial support from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) department, Working with Preschool Children: e-Toolkit on Early Childhood (Terre des hommes Italia Foundation and Palestinian Medical Relief Society, n.d.) available at http://www. terredeshommes.it/dnload/booklet-0.pdf. 173 Saed Bannoura, “PMRS: ‘52% of Gaza Children Suffer From Malnutrition’,” International Middle East Media Center, June 30, 2010, available at http://www.imemc.org/article/59031. 174 Working with Preschool Children: e-Toolkit on Early Childhood. Despite concerted efforts to link Israeli policies to specific medical conditions in Gaza, the <strong>NGO</strong>s’ own project findings indicate that more immediate factors were nutritional habits, lifestyle, educational orientation, and familial interactions. One of the major components of the project was the implementation of “Integrated Psychosocial and Nutritional Awareness for mothers.” Likewise, the “Results achieved” during the course of the project include “Caregivers increased their knowledge about children needs and decreased violent and coercive attitudes and practices towards them” and “Families improved their nutritional habits and started adopting an healthier lifestyle.” Neither domestic abuse nor bad nutrition and a lack of exercise have any clear relationship to Israeli policies, although PMRS blames Israel for them. Similarly, while the political situation with Israel had not radically changed, the <strong>NGO</strong>s claim to have drastically reduce anemia and almost eliminate “severe and moderate” anemia among the children enrolled in the program. 175 There is also statistical evidence that PMRS’ findings were not representative of wider trends in Gaza. The same year as the PMRS study, 2010, a comparable study compiled by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) recorded anemia in 13.4 percent of Gazan children five years of age and younger. 176 The World Health Organization (WHO) report “The State of Nutrition: West Bank and Gaza” shows that in 2005 the rates in the Palestinian population were comparable to those of neighboring Jordan and Egypt, where Israel was not a factor. 177 175 Psychosocial and Nutritional Support to Pre-schoolage Children and Their Siblings in Gaza Strip (Gaza: The Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), June 29, 2010), 21, available at http://aidajerusalem.org/ uploadss/30_06_10694625838.pdf. 176 Press Release: Child Statistics Report on the Eve of Palestinian Children’s Day April 5, 2011 (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, April 5, 2010), 2, available at http://www. pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/PressRelease/childDay_E2011.pdf. 177 The State of Nutrition: West Bank and Gaza Strip (Directorate General of Primary Health Care and Public Health Ministry of Health, June 2005), available at http://www.who. int/hac/crises/international/wbgs/oPt_Review_of_nutrition_ situation_June2005.pdf. ngo malpractice page 31
ngo malpractice page 32 As the anemia report aptly demonstrates, medical services, such as improving nutritional and developmental awareness, are being delivered to a population in need. PMRS has chosen, however, to ignore the reality in order to promote political advocacy and the demonization of Israel.
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