Joint Statement from International Aid Organizations
In a joint statement signed to draw attention to the seriousness of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, international aid organizations announced that Israel had issued orders for the forced evacuation of the Deir al-Balah region. It was stated that these orders included the infrastructure in the region and the warehouses where basic aid supplies were stored. The statement drew attention to the fact that Gazans and humanitarian aid workers in Deir al-Balah had previously been subjected to similar forced migrations, and emphasized that the security of humanitarian aid supplies was at risk due to the continuation of this practice.
“The so-called ‘evacuation orders’ announced by Israel on August 13, 15, 16 and 21 continue to disrupt aid efforts, negatively affecting the operations of well-known organizations such as Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and Islamic Relief , as well as many other civil society organizations such as ActionAid, War Child, the Danish Refugee Council and WeWorld,” the statement said.
It was also stated that Israel’s forced migration of people from Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah between August 8-17 had also affected the operations of 17 health institutions. It was noted that this situation would negatively affect critical health work such as vital polio vaccination. The joint statement stated that those subjected to forced migration were in urgent need of humanitarian aid supplies.
The declaration emphasized that humanitarian workers should be free to distribute aid according to needs, and that “there should be no restrictions on the distribution of humanitarian aid based on one side declaring a region safe.” It was stated that the polio vaccine in particular was more urgent than ever.
It was stated that all parties have an obligation to provide humanitarian aid needs, and that “Israel, as the occupying power, is responsible for meeting the needs of the population in the territories it occupies. This responsibility includes facilitating humanitarian aid and creating conditions that “will enable the safe delivery of aid materials, as ordered by the measures taken by the International Court of Justice.”
“Until early May, Rafah served as the main hub for Gaza’s difficult relief operations, but Israeli forces expanded their ground operations there, forcing aid agencies to move their operations to Deir al-Balah. “With northern Gaza largely destroyed and the south largely inaccessible, civilians, aid workers and critically needed humanitarian operations have nowhere to go,” the statement added.
“Even if Israel allows polio vaccines to enter, how can we run an effective campaign in Gaza and reach children in dire need when those running the vaccination campaign are constantly being moved from one place to another?” asked Jeremy Stoner, Save the Children’s Middle East Regional Director, who was included in the joint statement. “Palestinians in Gaza have been brutally displaced and forcibly moved from one supposedly safe zone to another. “They have faced unimaginable hardship and losses, including many brave humanitarian workers who have risked their lives to save others,” said Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Director.
The joint statement included signatures from 27 aid organisations, most of which are based in Europe and the US, including Save the Children, Oxfam, Islamic Relief, ANERA, WeWorld and Norwegian Church Aid.
