<<<Please forward to any person or organization that might be able to help>>>

August 15, 2002

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in appeal for international assistance in what could be a dire humanitarian crisis. The residents of Salem, a village near Nablus in the West Bank, are facing a severe outbreak of Hepatitis A. According to Dr. Ghassan Hamdan of the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees in Nablus, there have been 95 confirmed cases in this village since the outbreak first began two weeks ago. Additionally, there are 9 confirmed cases in Iraq Bureen, a nearby community, and other unconfirmed reports of further infections in neighboring villages. Thus far, all 104 confirmed infections have been children.

Dr. Hamdan asserts that recent damage to the village.s infrastructure is the most likely cause of the problem. Israeli military forces, while using bulldozers to place a roadblock on the main access road to Salem, have broken open sewage lines, possibly contaminating the area.s water supply. Another example of infrastructure damage is the dumping of garbage from nearby Israeli settlements in areas where villagers grow their food. Additionally, 58 consecutive days of curfew in the Nablus area have led to poor overall sanitary conditions, malnutrition, and lack of access to medical care, greatly exacerbating the situation.

Due to lack of funding, the Medical Relief in Palestine is unable to provide the necessary vaccinations for the village.s residents. Dr. Hamdan warns that, while the prognosis for Hepatitis infections among children is generally positive, if the epidemic continues it may spread to infants and to the elderly, with potentially devastating effects. Therefore, the need for help in this situation is urgent.

The major needs in this crisis are funding for the vaccine and assistance with transporting the medication to the Nablus area. The Israeli siege which restricts Palestinian movement, both within and between Palestinian towns, makes it almost impossible for local Palestinians to transport medical supplies and move in other emergency cases. We believe that the direct intervention of international aid organizations is crucial in addressing humanitarian crises in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our teams of international volunteers and activists, along with our Palestinian partners, will continue to work around the siege to provide aid to those in need. Please consider helping us.

Any organization or individual wishing to help with this crisis should contact the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Organizations in Nablus at +972-9-238-7174. You can also contact Susan Barclay in Nablus at +972-59-877-091 or +972-55-829-680.

Thank you very much for your attention in this matter.

Sincerely,

Adam Stumacher
Volunteer
International Solidarity Movement

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