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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) and Congressman John Olver (MA-1) today applauded the Obama Administration for authorizing the use of $20.3 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) Fund to address critical post-conflict humanitarian needs in Gaza.
On January 28th, 2009 Congresswoman Capps and Congressman Olver spearheaded a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requesting the State Department release ERMA funds for reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. Sixty-three Members of Congress eventually joined as signatories to the letter.
“I am very pleased that Secretary Clinton and the Obama Administration heard our request for immediate aid to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” said Capps. Today’s announcement that the Obama Administration will release more funding to deal with this humanitarian emergency in Gaza is welcome news. This funding is desperately needed and will help the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the International Committee of the Red Cross address the terrible situation on the ground.
“Today’s decision to provide this critical humanitarian aid is another positive sign that the Obama Administration recognizes how important achieving peace in the region is to American national security interests,” continued Capps. “The President’s early outreach to the Muslim world, appointment of former Sen. George Mitchell as Special Envoy, and commitment of funds to rebuilding Gaza demonstrates a refreshing clarity and understanding of the enormous stakes at hand. I deeply appreciate his commitment to returning America to its rightful place as the honest broker of peace in the region. The Israeli and Palestinian peoples have been mired in a tragic cycle of violence for far too long and it is important that America help bring the parties together to help them find a way to live together in peace and security.”
Congressman John Olver said, “As is the case with any humanitarian crisis, time is of the essence. There is a dire need on the ground for food, fresh water, medical assistance and electricity. The longer the people of Gaza go without these essentials, the worse this tragic crisis will become. I am very pleased that the Administration recognized the urgency of our request and responded so decisively.”
Of the $20.3 million in new ERMA funds, $13.5 million will go to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), $6 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and $800 to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). These organizations are distributing emergency food assistance, providing medical assistance and temporary shelter, creating temporary employment, and restoring access to electricity and potable water to the people of Gaza.
The text of the January 28th, 2009 letter to Secretary Clinton follows:
Dear Secretary Clinton:
First, we would like to congratulate you on being sworn in as our nation’s 67th Secretary of State. We are very hopeful that this new era in American foreign policy upon which we embark can advance the cause of peace in the Middle East and beyond.
As strong supporters of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, we are writing to express our deep concern for the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and to request immediate action by the United States to address this crisis. With the ceasefire now in effect, it is critical that the United States play a leading role in alleviating the suffering of civilians in Gaza and we respectfully urge your assistance in this task.
As you know, the situation on the ground is dire. The flow of humanitarian goods into the Gaza Strip is limited to food and medicine. Yet there exists a real need to allow for the importation of construction materials and fuel, which require the opening of crossings into Gaza. For example, only the Karni Crossing has the capacity for transporting large cargo, such as cement, but it remains closed.
In addition, in order to rebuild civilian infrastructure in Gaza the international community is going to have to make significant monetary contributions. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) estimates financial needs of nearly $350 million just to rebuild their own infrastructure and continue providing essential services to the Palestinians in Gaza.
We also remain especially concerned about the desperate condition of medical services in Gaza. Although Israel has begun to allow limited medical supplies into Gaza, the need far outweighs the availability while hospitals remain understaffed and ill-supplied. One of the most crucial steps that needs to be taken is for Israel to allow critically ill patients to be transported out of Gaza and into Israel, the West Bank and Jordan, where they may receive necessary medical care. We therefore urge you to express this concern directly to Israeli government officials.
In addition to the several thousand individuals who were physically injured during the recent military operations, we can expect to see a dramatic increase in the number of individuals suffering from psychological trauma. In order to help the population to begin rebuilding, we will need to further ensure that funds are used to provide adequate mental health services in Gaza.
Failure to address this humanitarian emergency has the potential to produce a crisis of even more unspeakable proportions. We therefore respectfully request that the State Department release emergency funds to UNRWA for reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. We believe the State Department can make funds available through accounts such as Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) and urge you to facilitate the transfer of funds as soon as possible.
We look forward to maintaining a productive and ongoing dialogue with the State Department and the Obama Administration regarding the United States response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Toward that end we respectfully request that you or your staff share with us prior to Congress recessing on February 13, 2009, the actions taken to date and the strategy you will pursue to address the humanitarian crisis.
Finally, we know that addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a whole is a top priority of the Obama Administration and we applaud President Obama and you for your early and public commitment to meet this challenge. We also believe that the naming of former Senator George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East is commendable. We believe the security interests of both Israel and the United States will be greatly enhanced by the establishment of a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and that United States involvement is indispensable in achieving that goal. We stand ready to work with you as the Administration furthers these efforts.
Full List of Signatories to the Letter:
DAVID PRICE
LOIS CAPPS
KEITH ELLISON
SAM FARR
MAURICE D. HINCHEY
BARBARA LEE
JIM MORAN
EARL BLUMENAUER
LLOYD DOGGETT
JAMES P. MCGOVERN
GWEN MOORE
JIM MCDERMOTT
RAÚL M. GRIJALVA
PETE STARK
MICHAEL E. CAPUANO
PETER WELCH
DENNIS J. KUCINICH
DONALD M. PAYNE
LYNN C. WOOLSEY
JOHN D. DINGELL
MAXINE WATERS
DIANE E. WATSON
ANDRÉ CARSON
DONNA F. EDWARDS
JOHN LEWIS
CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK
GLENN C. NYE
HENRY C. JOHNSON
JOE SESTAK
BOB FILNER
STEPHEN F. LYNCH
JOHN F. TIERNEY
RUSH D. HOLT
BETTY MCCOLLUM
GEORGE MILLER
NICK J. RAHALL
YVETTE D. CLARKE
WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT
LORETTA SANCHEZ
ROSA L. DELAURO
MIKE THOMPSON
BRIAN BAIRD
PETER A. DEFAZIO
CHRISTOPHER MURPHY
MARY JO KILROY
THOMAS PERRIELLO
JOHN CONYERS JR.
NEIL ABERCROMBIE
GERALD E. CONNOLLY
EARL POMEROY
ANNA G. ESHOO
JACKIE SPEIER
MICHAEL M. HONDA
JOHN A. YARMUTH
BRUCE BRALEY
TAMMY BALDWIN
JAMES L. OBERSTAR
ERIC J.J. MASSA
MICHAEL H. MICHAUD
MARCY KAPTUR
BILL PASCRELL, JR
DANIEL B. MAFFEI
DANNY K. DAVIS
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Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.
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