CARE calls for solutions to malnutrition in West Bank and Gaza

CARE
Wednesday, 7 May 2003

Actions beyond short-term relief needed

Malnutrition in the West Bank and Gaza needs both immediate attention and long-term commitment from all parties in the Middle East peace process, the international humanitarian organization CARE said today.

Up to 13.3 percent of Palestinian children in Gaza are acutely malnourished, according to results released last year from surveys conducted by CARE in collaboration with other agencies. As many as 17.5 percent in Gaza show chronic malnourishment.

"It is not only victims of violence who suffer from the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict," said Peter Bell, CARE President and CEO. "Only a political solution can bring about the lasting economic development that will end poverty and malnutrition."

CARE urges the following actions to help improve the nutritional status of the West Bank and Gaza population:

• Access for humanitarian organizations to local populations and ease of restrictions on the transportation of products and movement of workers and farmers.


• Targeted assistance to the most vulnerable populations, allowing delivery of locally produced food, use of vouchers, and feeding programs at schools and health facilities.


• Research on means to supplement diets with micro-nutrients, and distribution of supplements through community healthcare professionals.


• Nutrition education for healthcare professionals and nutrition education outreach to mothers.


• Job creation through public infrastructure construction projects, cash-based employment, and development of governmental services.

CARE and its partners continue to monitor the nutritional situation in the region. For regular updates, see www.carewbg.org

For more information, or to contact CARE, see their website at: www.care.org