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John Holmes (right), the UN's undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, touring the Gaza Strip on Friday. (AP)
Last update - 19:22 15/02/2008
UN official says situation in Gaza Strip 'grim and miserable'
By The Associated Press
Tags: United Nations 

The UN's top official for welfare and humanitarian affairs said Friday that life in Gaza was 'grim and miserable' as a result of prolonged closure of the strip's borders and called for the lifting of blockades imposed after the militant Hamas movement seized control of the
territory last summer.

"These grim and miserable things are results of the restrictions placed on the Gaza crossings," John Holmes, the UN's undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, told journalists during a visit to the strip.
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On Thursday, Holmes said he would examine the consequences of Palestinian Qassam rocket fire on Israeli communities, as well as the damage caused to residents of the Gaza Strip by Israeli sanctions, during a four-day tour.

Holmes, said he would try and find ways to get more humanitarian aid in.

The impoverished Gaza Strip has been under blockade since the Islamic Hamas party wrested control over the coastal territory last year. Israel allows only emergency humanitarian aid and fuel into Gaza through the border crossings it controls, tightening its restrictions as Palestinian rocket fire from the Strip persists.

"I come to the region to look at it from a humanitarian viewpoint," Holmes told reporters in Jerusalem as he embarked upon his mission.

Holmes was planning to meet with residents of Sderot, an Israeli town just outside Gaza that is a target of near daily rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.

"You can't justify the firing of these rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel," Holmes said. "I want to see the effects they are having on people at the receiving end of the rockets."

Holmes said he wanted to see if he could find new ways to ease the lives of civilians on both sides, but noted he does not have the authority to make changes.

"Obviously we don't have the power to enforce solutions, but we can make suggestions," he said.

Holmes was scheduled to visit Gaza on Saturday, Sderot on Sunday and Jerusalem on Monday. He said he will meet Israeli officials and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, but he will not see Hamas leaders in Gaza
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  1.   Great.. Send him to directly to Sderot... 23:12  |  bf 14/02/08
  2.   DAMNED FOOL UN MORALIST 23:13  |  Brant 14/02/08
  3.   Weigh him down with the Qassam Carcasses 00:16  |  Awake 15/02/08
  4.   Does this UN fool realize that when the Qassams stop..... 01:58  |  Conroy 15/02/08
  5.   Tell the Israelis to get the hell out of the Territories 02:18  |  Dutch 15/02/08
  6.   Judea, not Palestine 03:33  |  Max 15/02/08
  7.   Tell the UN to quit subsidizing TERRORISTS 03:54  |  MaryRose 15/02/08
  8.   Dutch 04:09  |  ze`ev 15/02/08
  9.   he will not see Hamas leaders in Gaza 04:17  |  akiva (zionist) 15/02/08
  10.   Crutch 04:18  |  akiva (zionist) 15/02/08
  11.   re: Max 05:21  |  Paulo 15/02/08
  12.   re: Mary Rose 05:25  |  Paulo 15/02/08
  13.   UN examines damage by Kassam rockets 05:39  |  ness 15/02/08
  14.   UN examines damage caused by Qassam rockets, Israeli sanctions 05:49  |  nuss 15/02/08
  15.   UN examines damage caused by Qassam rockets, Israeli sanctions 05:54  |  nuss 15/02/08
  16.   #4 Conroy makes it all sound so reasonable 06:58  |  Johnboy 15/02/08
  17.   No plan to study effects of Hamas however 17:40  |  Avi 15/02/08
  18.   LIFE IN SDEROT IS NO PICNINC EITHER! 17:44  |  Ariel 15/02/08
  19.   # 16 Johnboy, Dutch et al....... 17:58  |  Lynn 15/02/08
  20.   weapons for aid 17:59  |  real vision 15/02/08
  21.   Crying Wlf tso many times, its getting nausating... 18:01  |  Max Zinger P.Chimist 15/02/08
  22.   # 2 Brant ............about the UN official 18:01  |  Lynn 15/02/08
  23.   Why Holmes is incorrect 18:03  |  Jon 15/02/08
  24.   THEY ARE HAPPY FIRING KASSAMS, THEY DONT NEED ANYTHING ELSE 18:07  |  Jorge 15/02/08
  25.   palestinian trade 18:07  |  real vision 15/02/08
  26.   Stupid and idiot UN, as usual 18:08  |  maurice 15/02/08
  27.   John Holmes-Grim and Miserable 18:37  |  henryB 15/02/08
  28.   Johnboy: Short term gain for long term pain isn`t smart 18:41  |  Brad 15/02/08
  29.   What does the UN expect? 19:03  |  Mike A 15/02/08
  30.   To Brant (#2) 19:25  |  Morris Valentine 15/02/08
  31.   I hear Sderot is beautiful this time of year. 19:41  |  Phillipe T. Lucre 15/02/08
  32.   Notice how he did not go to Sderot FIRST? That`s the whole story, 19:46  |  Mea 15/02/08
  33.   Its been "grim and miserable" because of Hamas. 19:55  |  Marwan مروان خوري 15/02/08
  34.   John Holmes, came for a looksee.? 20:19  |  Stephen. 15/02/08
  35.   "Deep Throat" Holmes found new pastures at the UN 20:30  |  Absolute Sweden 15/02/08
  36.   Unscrupulous Arabs Leaders Inhumanity Must Be Held Accountable 20:32  |  Joseph . E 15/02/08
  37.   Suggested Comprehensive Plan 20:35  |  DoubleClick 15/02/08
  38.   UN Committees And UNHCR Are Private Anti-Israel Clubs 20:37  |  Joseph . E 15/02/08
  39.   UN & UNHCR Are The Main Arab Tool Of Anti-Israel Propaganda 20:40  |  Joseph . E 15/02/08
  40.   So What?? 20:43  |  Nemo 15/02/08
  41.   UN=United Nothing,Function=Attack,Undermine & Delegitimize Israel 20:45  |  Joseph . E 15/02/08
  42.   UNCHR Routinely Adopts Totally Disproportionate Resolutions Conce 20:55  |  Joseph . E 15/02/08
  43.   GOOD!!! 21:03  |  miras 15/02/08
  44.   Tell me when the UN faulted Hamas for any thing?? 21:06  |  Mark C 15/02/08
  45.   UN Official regarding Gaza 21:30  |  Fredy Ross 15/02/08
  46.   Let the UN live in sderot 21:33  |  real vision 15/02/08
  47.   Reply to Nuss No. 15 21:58  |  Jackie 15/02/08
  48.   Of course its grim, HAMAS is in the middle of a shooting war... 22:11  |  Jacob Blues 15/02/08
  49.   UN official says situation 22:18  |  dani 15/02/08
  50.   #5 Did Shakespeare know Dutch? 22:27  |  George Desal 15/02/08
  51.   Gaza sitrep 22:51  |  Paul 15/02/08
  52.   compared to Cairo? 22:52  |  Curious 15/02/08
  53.   UN Stupid officials 22:59  |  U.S Citizen 15/02/08
  54.   16Johnboy, Hamas Hudna with Al-Jihad firing Kassams? 23:13  |  Rob 15/02/08
  55.   If only..... 23:18  |  Esther 15/02/08
  56.   #12 Paulo 23:18  |  Kip 15/02/08
  57.   LYNN: THE DIFFERENCE WITH THIS JOHN HOLMES 23:30  |  Brant 15/02/08
  58.   #44 Very funny but Clicky only reads Haaretz 23:57  |  Will Shakespeare 15/02/08
  59.   Brant 00:22  |  kiwi girl 16/02/08
  60.   whats new? 00:53  |  Beyram 16/02/08
  61.   Israel Is Its Own Worst Enemy 01:20  |  Paulo 16/02/08
  62.   re: Kip 01:26  |  Paulo 16/02/08
  63.   Yeah like the UN is going to stop the Qassams 01:36  |  Kipperraes 16/02/08
  64.   ISRAEL CAN DO NO WRONG!!! 01:40  |  chet 16/02/08
  65.   #7 MaryRose . Tell the US to stop funding State terrorism... 01:56  |  Maureen Ann 16/02/08
  66.   Finally some sanity. Quassams Schmassums. 02:11  |  Steve Katz 16/02/08
  67.   Civilians should not suffer 02:27  |  Arab 16/02/08
  68.   wrested control? 02:39  |  hollingsworth 16/02/08
  69.   Holmes idiot, border with Egypt is wide open whenever Hamas wants 02:54  |  Genuine Tosefta 16/02/08
  70.   #54 Chet -Canada 03:06  |  * BEN JABO 16/02/08
  71.   MaryRose 03:08  |  Jimmie 16/02/08
  72.   Beyram: Live Long and Prosper! 03:14