Over 100 humanitarian groups sound alarm on starvation of staff in Gaza
More than 100 international human rights and humanitarian organisations have called for an end to Israel's siege of Gaza, citing widespread starvation affecting their staff.
Famine caused by Israel's ongoing war and blockade has led to a growing number of deaths from malnutrition and dehydration in recent days.
A joint letter released on Wednesday, signed by 109 organisations, including Amnesty International, War Child UK, and EuroMed Rights, warns that the humanitarian crisis is reaching catastrophic levels.
“As the Israeli government’s siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families," the joint letter said.
"With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organisations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes."
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The signatories rejected the "military-controlled distribution models," in reference to the scandal-ridden Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israeli-US initiative designed to bypass the UN's infrastructure for aid delivery and distribution in Gaza.
They also urged the immediate lifting of the Israeli blockade and allowing aid groups to do their work.
"Humanitarian agencies have the capacity and supplies to respond at scale," the statement added.
"But, with access denied, we are blocked from reaching those in need, including our own exhausted and starved teams.
"Every day without a sustained flow means more people dying of preventable illnesses. Children starve while waiting for promises that never arrive."
'Chaos, starvation and death'
The organisations also accused Israel of creating "chaos, starvation, and death", noting that the starvation of civilians as a "method of warfare is a war crime".
"Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions. It is not just physical torment, but psychological.
"Survival is dangled like a mirage. The humanitarian system cannot run on false promises. Humanitarians cannot operate on shifting timelines or wait for political commitments that fail to deliver access."
The statement comes after the after Palestinian health ministry on Tuesday announced that 15 Palestinians died from malnutrition the previous day.
Ten more people died from lack of food on Wednesday.
In total, 111 Palestinians, including 80 children, have died from malnutrition, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
On Monday, AFP journalists' union warned that its colleagues working in Gaza are facing death from starvation, as a result of Israel's blockade on the besieged Palestinian territory.
"We have lost journalists in conflicts, we have had wounded and imprisoned in our ranks, but none of us remembers seeing a colleague die of hunger," the union, Society of Journalists (SDJ), said in a statement.
Following the union's statement, AFP management said it "shares the anguish expressed by the SDJ regarding the appalling situation of its staff" and urged Israel to allow their evacuation.
"For months, we have been helplessly witnessing the dramatic deterioration of their living conditions. Their situation is now untenable, despite exemplary courage, professional commitment and resilience," an AFP statement said.
The AFP has ten Palestinian photographers and reporters working in the enclave.
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