Sir, – As regional tensions rise and the humanitarian situation in Lebanon deteriorates, the nightmare of Gaza is unbelievably getting worse. The population is starved, diseased, and traumatised. Humanitarian aid agencies are facing every rising pressure and restrictions on our operations, leaving thousands of lives at risk. The Palestine NGOs Network, PNGO – a partner of ActionAid – is facing heavy bombardment around their office and humanitarian hub in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza strip. Blocks adjacent to them have received evacuation orders from the Israelis.
And an ActionAid partner that supports women, WEFAQ, has already been forced to evacuate from Deir Al-Balah as Israeli tanks close in. WEFAQ is a crucial source of support, especially for women and families displaced by the ongoing bombardment. This evacuation critically impacts on their ability to deliver essential services to those in need.
Humanitarian workers should be safe, and aid should be available to a population in dire need. These forced evacuations likely constitute war crimes.
There must be sanctions against Israel, and Ireland must take action if the European Union will not. There are actions we can take – the Occupied Territories Bill, the Divestment Bill and pushing the EU harder on the EU and Israel Association Agreement.
ActionAid demands an immediate ceasefire, an end to the blockade on Gaza, release of all hostages and the full protection of all humanitarian personnel so they can work delivering critical aid unimpeded.
This is an atrocity unfolding in real-time. The world cannot continue to stand idly by. Tragically, every time we think things can’t get worse they do. – Yours, etc,
KAROL BALFE,
CEO ActionAid Ireland,
Dublin 1.