JERUSALEM (January 23, 2009) - Save the Children announced today that two of its staff with global expertise in emergency response were granted access into Gaza. Several members of other non-governmental organizations also made entry through the Erez checkpoint this morning. 

Save the Children welcomes this positive step forward but renewed its call for unhindered access for humanitarian staff and aid into Gaza. Additional humanitarian workers are required to support the aid workers already in Gaza, who have been working throughout the conflict under extremely difficult conditions.

"We welcome the news that some of our global emergency response experts were able to access Gaza today. But, this needs to be followed by the removal of all access restrictions so we can reach more children and their families with vital supplies," said Annie Foster, team leader for Save the Children's emergency response in Gaza.

Most of the population has been without basic services and supplies for nearly a month. Save the Children emphasized that the essential supplies needed to respond to the scale of the crisis, including food, water, medical supplies, hygiene kits and reconstruction materials, are not available in sufficient supply in Gaza's local markets.

Beyond meeting children's immediate lifesaving needs, Save the Children also will help children stay safe and protected. With over 17,000 homes destroyed and some 40,000 damaged, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the remaining rubble, broken glass and unexploded ordinances are a danger to children. 

"Children are now swarming the streets, playing and exploring and putting themselves at extreme risk of physical harm," added Foster. "To help keep kids safe, Save the Children will be launching an education program for children to inform them of dangers."  

The agency also plans to help children recover from the trauma of their experiences and return to normalcy. According to initial staff assessments, children are showing signs of extreme emotional distress. Save the Children plans to provide psychosocial support to children, parents and teachers to help them on their path to recovery.

"It is safe to say that children in Gaza are suffering from psychological distress, but it is a matter of to what degree," said Save the Children's Child Protection and Education Emergency Coordinator Dominique Sbardella, who was granted access into Gaza today.  "With the proper care and support, children are incredibly resilient and can recover."

Save the Children has worked in Gaza since 1953 and has 13 staff on the ground working with local community partners on the emergency response.  Since the conflict began on December 27, the agency has reached more than 44,000 people, half of them children, with lifesaving supplies, including food, water, plastic sheeting, plastic carpets, family hygiene kits and baby hygiene kits.