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 WritingGAZA FACING HUMANITARIAN CRISISAl-Mintar Crossing is Gaza's commercial lifeline, and the only crossing through which large-scale import of wheat and other imports and exports can take place. The crossing has been shut down for nearly 50 days-in peak harvest for Palestinian produce exported to Europe-since the beginning of the year, a total of 60% of the time according to the UN, despite Israeli promises in a US-brokered November agreement not to do so. David Shearer, head of operations at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinians Territories (OCHA), said "The situation is extremely serious. In the next day or so all bread supplies will dry up. There is very little else around in terms of rice, which is also short in supply. Bread is the staple diet for Palestinians. It is also the food the poorest people so if that's not available people will start to go hungry." According to the World Bank's 2005 statistics, 65% of Gaza's Palestinians are living below the poverty line, surviving on under $2 a day and general poverty has reached upwards of 70% of the population. Read the report at:
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