As reports come in of an order shared with the United Nations for Palestinians, humanitarian staff, and medical personnel to move from their homes and communities within the next 24 hours, ActionAid warns of an impending humanitarian disaster and calls for an immediate cessation of bombings of civilians, as per international humanitarian law.
Wisam Shweiki – Head of Programmes for ActionAid Palestine, said:
“Forcing 1.1 million people – half the population – to move immediately will cause a humanitarian crisis beyond our worst nightmares. Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. This rapid movement will cause family separations and those most vulnerable will be left behind to face unimaginable distress. How can pregnant women move? Or parents with children?
It will be an incredible burden on local infrastructure in the southern parts of Gaza where already the water, power and food supplies have been cut off. Where will people stay? What will they eat? How will they survive? The borders are closed, and we have not been allowed to bring in aid or urgent medical supplies. The situation is desperate and inhumane. How much pain must be inflicted and what will be left of Gaza when we wake from this nightmare?”
Notes to editor
Spokespeople are available:
- Nadim Zaghloul – ActionAid Palestine Country Director, currently in the West Bank
- Wisam Shweiki – Head of Programmes at ActionAid Palestine, currently in the West Bank
- Cristina Muñoz – Director at ActionAid Spain, currently in Madrid
- Gemma Cosialls – Country Manager at ActionAid Spain, currently in Jerusalem
- Samah Kassab – Project Manager, currently in Gaza
- Razmi Farook – Director of Asia and Humanitarian at ActionAid International, currently in Colombo
For media requests, please email Christal.James@actionaid.org or call 704 665 9743.
About ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation working with more than 15 million people living in more than 40 of the world’s poorest countries. We want to see a just, fair, and sustainable world in which everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity and freedom from poverty and oppression. We work to achieve social justice and gender equality and to eradicate poverty.
