Difficult access through Erez crossing
• Young mother of two children dies after being delayed a permit repeatedly, then refused passage at Erez (See p. 4.)
• More than 45% of patients were denied/delayed permits: Of 2,626 patient applications for a permit to exit Gaza through Erez checkpoint for hospital appointments in March, 1,440 (55%) were approved; 96 patients (4%) were denied permits while 1,090 (42%) received no response including 242 children aged 18 years or younger and 120 people over 60 years (Palestinian District Liaison office in Gaza).
• 117 patients were denied access by the de facto authoritiy in late March and early April (See p. 5.)
• 55% of patients' companions were denied/delayed permits: The approval rate for permit applications of patients' companions was 46%; 4% of the companions were denied permits and the remaining 50% were still pending by the patients' scheduled hospital dates.
• Security interrogations for patients: 29 patients (23 males; 6 females), including a man over 60, were requested by the General Security Services for interviews at Erez during March. Six were approved permits.
Limited access through Rafah
• Limited access to Egypt: According to Palestinian officials at Rafah terminal, the Rafah border terminal was open in both directions for 3 days only in March allowing 430 patients to travel for health reasons to Egypt.
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