2024-03-13 15:37:26
Humanitarian and human rights organizations on the ground in the Gaza Strip have reiterated since the beginning of the current escalation that the only way to meet the unprecedented humanitarian needs in the enclave is to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire and ensure full, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access through all land crossings. States cannot hide behind airdrops and efforts to open a sea corridor to create the illusion that they are doing enough to help the needs in Gaza: their primary responsibility is to prevent atrocities and apply effective political pressure to put an end to end the relentless bombing and restrictions that prevent the safe delivery of humanitarian aid.
For months, everyone in the Gaza Strip has been surviving with crisis-level hunger, the largest proportion of the population in a food security crisis. never registered by the Integrated Classification of Food Safety Phases (CIF). Families have been drinking contaminated water for months, and go days without eating. The health system completely collapsed amid outbreaks of disease and serious injuries caused by constant bombing. At least 20 boys and girls They have recently died from severe malnutrition, dehydration and related diseases. As we see an acceleration in the deterioration of the food, water and health situation every day, there will be more deaths from hunger and disease if the Israeli authorities continue to prevent humanitarian access. The The UN has warned that famine is imminent.
Although states have recently stepped up airdrops of aid in Gaza, humanitarian aid professionals emphasize that this method of providing aid, alone, is nowhere near the capacity to meet the enormous magnitude of the enclave’s needs. The 2.3 million people who are in a catastrophic survival situation cannot be fed and cured by airdrops.
Airdrops cannot provide the volumes of aid that can be transported by land. While a convoy of five trucks has the capacity to transport about 100 tons of vital aid, recent airdrops have only provided a few tons each. Furthermore, airdrops can be extremely dangerous to the lives of people waiting for aid: at least five deaths caused by free-falling aid packages have already been reported in Gaza. Humanitarian aid cannot be improvised: it must be provided by professional teams, with experience in organizing the distribution and direct provision of services necessary to save lives. Humanitarian aid deliveries must have a human face, capable not only of adequately assessing the needs of the affected people, but also of restoring hope and dignity to an already traumatized and desperate population. After enduring five months of continuous bombing and dehumanizing conditions, the boys, girls, women and men of Gaza are entitled to more than a pittance from heaven. Although any humanitarian aid arriving in Gaza is welcome, transport by air or sea should be seen as complementary to land transport, not a substitute, as it cannot under any circumstances replace aid provided by road.
It is important to note that some of the States that have recently carried out airdrops are also providing weapons to the Israeli authorities, namely the United States, the United Kingdom and France. States should not use aid to evade international responsibilities and duties under international law, including the prevention of atrocities. To fulfill their obligations under international law, these States must stop all arms transfers that threaten to be used to commit international crimes, and must implement meaningful measures to enforce an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and accountability. by the perpetrators.
Recently, third States announced efforts to open a maritime corridor from Cyprus, which would include the establishment of a floating port on the coast of Gaza that will not be fully operational for several weeks. Families are dying of hunger, and they do not have time for extraterritorial and coastal infrastructure to be built: to save their lives, humanitarian trucks full of food and medicine must be immediately allowed to pass through and prevented from entering Gaza. at the moment.
Furthermore, shipments from this port to distribution points throughout Gaza will suffer from the same obstacles that humanitarian aid convoys from Rafah are currently encountering: persistent insecurity, a high rate of access denials by Israeli forces, and excessive waits at Israeli checkpoints. Therefore, its establishment will not substantially change the catastrophic humanitarian situation, unless it is combined with an immediate ceasefire and complete and unimpeded access to all areas of the Gaza Strip. Also of concern is the lack of transparency over which entity will be responsible for the infrastructure and security of the provision of humanitarian aid by sea: States must ensure that the maritime corridor does not legitimize a prolonged Israeli land military occupation of the Strip through the instrumentalization of the need for humanitarian aid.
We recognize that in this terrible context all help is necessary, but we warn about the potentially devastating consequences of creating dangerous precedents leading to the degradation of humanitarian access by land and the prolongation of hostilities. The appropriate humanitarian response to Gaza’s massive needs is unrestricted access to professional humanitarian aid personnel who have been prepared for months on the Egyptian side of the border. Until now, the ability of 2.3 million people in Gaza to eat, receive medical treatment and have a roof over their heads has depended solely on the discretion of the Israeli authorities. This situation cannot continue. Humanitarian organizations have the logistical capacity to provide aid to the Palestinian population of Gaza; What is missing is the political will of the States to force access.
What humanitarian organizations expect from third states is that they urgently use their influence to achieve an immediate ceasefire and to force the Israeli authorities to end their deliberate blockade of life-saving aid in all areas of the Gaza Strip: this includes a complete opening and lifting of restrictions at the Rafah, Kerem Shalom/Karam Abu Salem, Erez/Beit Hanoun and Karni passes. We recall that an immediate and permanent ceasefire is the only condition to allow the colossal increase in the flow of humanitarian aid necessary to alleviate the suffering of 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip.
Signatories:
Action Aid International
American Friends Service Committee
Amnesty International
Association of Italian NGOs
CCFD-Terre Solidaire
CISS – South South International Cooperation
DanChurchAid
Danish House in Palestine
Danish Refugee Council
HelpAge International
Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International
IM Swedish Development Partner
International Federation for Human Rights
INTERSOS
Medical Aid for Palestinians
Mennonite Central Committee
Médecins du Monde International Network / Doctors of the World
Médecins Sans Frontières France / Doctors Without Borders France
Oxfam
Plan International
First International Emergency
Islamic Relief France
Terre des Hommes Italy
War Child Alliance
Welfare Association
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