Grim milestone of 30,000 deaths in Gaza a 'stain on the world's conscience'

Source: Christian Aid

International development agency Christian Aid says the UK Government has neglected its legal and moral duty to do everything in its power to work to end the humanitarian suffering in Gaza.

The statement was made after it was confirmed 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since the attacks on Israel by Hamas five months ago, which killed more than 1,000 people.

The charity says without a full, immediate, and permanent ceasefire, the continuing killings across the region are "a stain on the conscience of the world".

The Ministry of Health in Gaza says more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 12,300 children.

The figure comes on the day health officials stated 100 people were killed during an attempted distribution of food aid near Gaza City, with at least some deaths attributed to Israeli fire.

People in Gaza have been under siege conditions since Israel sent its military into the city. Desperate shortages of food, water, fuel and medicines are leading to unimaginable suffering. Warnings of famine have gone largely unheeded and there are credible reports of children dying from starvation.

William Bell, Head of Middle East Policy & Advocacy at Christian Aid, said: "Today's events in Gaza City are the logical outcome of the blocking of humanitarian aid, and the lack of safe conditions in which to distribute aid. Without a ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian assistance isn't possible.

"The UK government and Opposition should be calling for a full and immediate ceasefire. This latest terrible milestone is a stain on the conscience of the world.

"The UK government has continued to allow arms exports to Israel and been muted at best in its response to the government of Israel's actions, ignoring the International Court of Justice's ruling to ensure humanitarian access to Gaza.

"Aid deliveries continue to be obstructed, increasing the risk of starvation and famine. Despite the disregard for international law on both sides, political leaders still cannot bring themselves to push for a ceasefire.

"Our partners in Gaza are doing what they can in dire conditions. But without a permanent ceasefire aid can't be delivered to help people on the scale required."

1.7 million people have been displaced inside Gaza - 75% of population. This is the largest forced displacement of Palestinians since 1948. There are up to 1.4 million displaced people in Rafah - five times its original population. Over 60% of all homes in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged.

In the space of just a couple of days (20th-22nd Feb) two staff members working for Christian Aid's local partner in Gaza, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), were killed along with their families in airstrikes. They were:

Nour Naser Abu Al-Nour, a lawyer with PCHR, who was killed on 20th February alongside seven family members, including her two-year-old daughter, by an airstrike which struck her family home in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Dana Yaghi, a lawyer with PCHR, who was killed on February 22nd alongside 40 other people, the majority of whom were from her family, by an airstrike which struck her family home in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza strip.

Nearly all staff from Christian Aid's local partners in Gaza have been displaced and most are now living in tents or shelters in Rafah. They have told us that people are starving and the situation gets worse every day. 1.7 million displaced people find themselves living in cramped conditions, lacking access to food, water, medicine and bedding.

Some 2.2 million people in Gaza are at imminent risk of starvation, with nine out of 10 people living on less than one meal a day. Christian Aid has also heard directly from people struggling with severe food shortages, saying that those who can bear it often only eat once a day so they can leave more food for the children.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, Christian Aid's partners in Gaza have provided medical support as well as food, water and blankets to people living in shelters after fleeing their homes to escape airstrikes. This support has been carried out despite most of our partners' staff being displaced themselves. Our partner in Khan Younis opened their community shelter to displaced families and another partner has been documenting human rights abuses and possible war crimes.

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Christian Aid: www.christianaid.org.uk/