wfn.org | CWS, other human rights agencies, urge protection of Gazans

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CWS, other human rights and refugee protection agencies, urge protection of Gazans

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Thurs. Jan. 15, 2009- Humanitarian agency Church
World Service and a diverse group of international human rights and
refugee protection organizations have called on President Bush and other
U.S. leaders, the United Nations, and Israeli and Egyptian ambassadors
to uphold the rights of the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
to seek protection.

The letter said, "It is ? incumbent upon Israel and Egypt to
immediately open their borders and provide full rights and protection to
[Gazan] civilians under international law."  Two-thirds of Gazans are
refugees.  Both Israel and Egypt are signatories to the 1951 Convention
relating to the Status of Refugees.

The letter was signed by the Arab American Anti-Discrimination
Committee, Amnesty International-USA, the Arab American and Chaldean
Council, the Immigration and Refugee Program of Church World Service,
the Dominican Leadership Conference, the Episcopal Church, Kurdish Human
Rights Watch, Refugees International, and the U.S. Committee for
Refugees and Immigrants.

In addition to President Bush, the statement was sent to
representatives of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population,
Refugees and Migration; the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Refugee Affairs Division; the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, including Senate Committee
Chairman and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden.   It was also sent to
Michel Gabaudan, Regional Director, United Nations High Commission for
Refugees; Egyptian Ambassador to the United States Sameh Shoukry, and
Sallai Meridor, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.

Echoing the call of UN High Commissioner of for Refugees Antonio
Guterres, the letter also called for immediate expansion of aid delivery
channels, saying, "It is absolutely imperative that the immediate
delivery of humanitarian assistance to the civilian victims of this
conflict be facilitated through Egypt and Israel.â??

Church World Service and its partners in the region report that
professional medical volunteers from various countries are still being
denied entry to help treat injured civilians.  The organizations' letter
asks for immediate deployment of medical personnel into Gaza.

Tuesday evening, three CWS-supported truckloads of critically needed
food and medical supplies, including milk and energy biscuits for
children, reached two clinics in Gaza. A third clinic that served
children of the poorest in Gaza City was completely destroyed in an
Israeli air strike over the weekend.

Global relief and development agency CWS is supporting emergency relief
and trauma care for those in Gaza affected by the violence and has
launched a U.S. fundraising campaign for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
The agency also is calling its nationwide grassroots Speak Out advocacy
network
http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id =155

to action, asking people to immediately press their lawmakers in
Washington to urge U.S. diplomatic action to end the fighting in Gaza
and renew a meaningful process toward peace with justice for
Palestinians and Israelis.

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Media Contacts

Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676, media@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin - 24/7 - (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.net