Intensified Israeli military attacks on Gaza City and forced displacement orders for the entire city are leaving families with an impossible dilemma: flee and risk death on the road and in overcrowded displacement areas, or stay and face relentless bombardment in their shelters. Starvation and siege await them regardless. 

“We are humans just like you. We want to live with dignity and safety, not to die from hunger or bombs.” 

Ayman (name changed), a father sheltering with his family in Gaza City.

Nearly 1 million remain in Gaza City

“Our only demand is life,” said Ayman (name changed), a father sheltering with his family in Gaza City. “We are humans just like you. We want to live with dignity and safety, not to die from hunger or bombs.” 

Nearly 1 million Palestinians, starved, grieving, and displaced many times over, remain in Gaza City. If Israel’s operation in Gaza City continues, hospitals will be cut off and attacked, shelters and schools bombed, aid convoys blocked, and those too weak, old, or sick to flee will be left to die. “We are tired of running from one place to another,” said Abeer (name changed), a humanitarian worker. 

Humanitarian operations deliberately obstructed

At the same time, Israel is deliberately obstructing humanitarian operations. Aid trucks continue to be denied, and international NGOs are left in limbo by an opaque registration regime, even as famine deepens. 

The International Court of Justice has recognised that Palestinians in Gaza have a right to be protected from genocide. Each act of forced displacement and each surge of hunger makes that danger more certain, and the world cannot claim it did not see this coming. 

Let our goods enter. Let us work. Stop this assault. 

Signatories

Signed by 45 Humanitarian and Civil Society Organisations 

War Child Alliance 

ActionAid 

Action For Humanity 

American Friends Service Committee 

Anera 

Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz 

A New Policy 

Caritas Internationalis 

Caritas Jerusalem 

Christian Aid 

Churches for Middle East Peace 

CISS – Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud 

Danish Refugee Council 

Danske Hus i Palæstina 

Embrace the Middle East 

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

HelpAge International 

Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International 

Humanity First UK 

Insecurity Insight 

INSO 

Islamic Relief 

Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) 

Médecins Du Monde France (MdM France) 

Médecins du Monde Switzerland (MdM Switzerland) 

MedGlobal 

Medico International 

Médicos del Mundo (Spain) 

Mennonite Central Committee 

National Justice and Peace Network England and Wales 

Norwegian People’s Aid 

Oxfam

Pax Christi Flanders 

Pax Christi München 

Pax Christi Scotland 

People in Need 

Plan International 

Premiere Urgence Internationale 

Rebuilding Alliance 

Saferworld 

Secours Islamique France 

Solidarités International 

Terre des Hommes Italy 

The Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) 

Vento di Terra 

Categories: Emergencies Tags: Child protection in emergencies, Disaster relief