Al Mezan Center for Human Rights follows with great concern the critical situation of drug stocks and medical supplies in the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) in the Gaza Strip.
According to the MoH, 178 different drugs and 190 types of medical supplies have run out.
According to the estimations of the MoH in Gaza, this shortfall constitutes about 50% of the Ministry's stock, 39% of the list of the basic drugs types, and 19% of the medical supplies.
Al Mezan raised the issue of drug security in a workshop held on 30 May, 2011 to which all medical services providers in Gaza strip were invited.
Figures mentioned by Dr.
Muneer Al Bursh, the General Director of Pharmacology at the MoH, warned of the serious deterioration of the MoH stock in drugs and medical supplies.
    The current problem is part of a major crisis, which began in 2006 and was caused by the absence of general budget at that time.
The crisis  has continued  because until now no measures have been taken to find a solution.
The shortage of imported drugs and medical supplies and equipment in Gaza Strip is an outcome of the internal Palestinian split and the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza strip.
According to the MoH in Ramallah, the current problem is caused in large part by its inability to pay drug companies to import due to its massive debt, which has now reached 190 million shekels.
45 million shekels were paid this year to drug companies to purchase and import supplies to the Gaza Strip.
Supplies and drugs for the health sector are imported annually in March, but this year they have just been imported now in June.
The import of drugs and supplies into Gaza is an annual problem caused by the debt of the MoH.
The current efforts  of the two ministries in Gaza City and Ramallah only solve the problem in the short term, a long term sustainable solution needs to be found in order to prevent this problem in future years.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights asserts that the stocks of drugs and medical supplies are one of the essential elements needed for drug security which in turn forms the basis for Palestinians' right to health care in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The five-year ongoing crisis of MoH stocks of drugs and medical supplies shortage is a very serious issue.
It is crucial to work at a high level to implement policies and procedures to resolve the crisis and to ensure sufficient availability of drugs and medical supplies that meet the needs of the MoH in normal and emergency situations.
Al Mezan asserts that it is crucial that the political problems of the health sector are mitigated in order to protect the right to health and related human rights of Palestinians.
Al Mezan also calls on the international community and international organizations working in the oPt to do all they can to assist in the transportation of drugs and medical supplies into Gaza and to help seek a long-term, sustainable solution to this problem.
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