Tag: starvation

Gaza: UK Government prepared to act at last?

PM SAYS STATE OF PALESTINE WILL BE RECOGNISED – UNLESS ISRAEL ‘TAKES SUBSTANTIVE STEPS TO END THE APPALLING SITUATION IN GAZA’

THE Prime Minister said:

On the 7th of October 2023 Hamas perpetrated the worst massacre in Israel’s history. 

Every day since then, the horror has continued. 

The hostages are still being held today. 

The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering. 

Now, in Gaza because of a catastrophic failure of aid, we see starving babies, children too weak to stand: Images that will stay with us for a lifetime. 

The suffering must end. 

Yesterday I discussed this with President Trump. 

And we are mounting a major effort to get humanitarian supplies back in. 

By air, and UK aid has been air dropped into Gaza today. 

And – crucially – by land. 

We need to see at least 500 trucks entering Gaza every day. 

But ultimately – the only way to bring this humanitarian crisis to an end is through a long-term settlement. 

So we are supporting the US, Egyptian and Qatari efforts to secure a vital ceasefire. 

That ceasefire must be sustainable and it must lead to a wider peace plan, which we are developing with our international partners. 

This plan will deliver security and proper governance in Gaza and pave the way for negotiations on a Two State Solution. 

Our goal remains a safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. But right now – that goal is under pressure like never before. 

I’ve always said we will recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the Two State Solution. 

With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act. 

So today – as part of this process towards peace I can confirm the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a Two State Solution. 

And this includes allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank. 

Meanwhile, our message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged and unequivocal. 

They must immediately release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza. 

We will make an assessment in September on how far the parties have met these steps. 

But no one should have a veto on our decision. 

So this is the way forward. We will keep working with all our international partners to end the suffering, get aid flooding into Gaza and deliver a more stable future for the Middle East. 

Because I know that is what the British people desperately want to see.

Statement on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the recognition of a Palestinian State

Our overwhelming concern is for the Israeli hostages and for the people of Gaza. We must do all we can to end the current suffering and change the situation on the ground.

We demand an immediate ceasefire to stop the slaughter, that the UN be allowed to send humanitarian assistance into Gaza on a continuing basis to prevent starvation, and the immediate release of the hostages. We support the US, Qatari and Egyptian governments in their attempts to bring about a ceasefire.

We also need a comprehensive plan to end this misery and to get to a long-term settlement. We are committed to working together with our international partners to develop a credible peace plan for the next phase in Gaza that establishes transitional governance and security arrangements, and ensures the delivery of humanitarian aid at the necessary scale.

This must be accompanied by the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the removal of Hamas leadership from Gaza as key steps towards a negotiated two-state solution. We welcome the steps announced by President Abbas and these should be the basis for a comprehensive reform of the PA. 

We have long been committed to recognising a state of Palestine. As our election manifesto said, Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. It is not in the gift of any neighbour and is also essential to the long-term security of Israel.

We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.  

Hamas are a terrorist organisation responsible for the October 7th atrocities. They must never be rewarded. We have been unequivocal in our condemnation of those evil attacks, and our support for the right of the State of Israel to self-defence.

Hamas must immediately release all the hostages, sign up to an immediate ceasefire, accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza, and commit to disarmament.

We are determined to protect the viability of the two-state solution, and so we will recognise the state of Palestine in September before UNGA; unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long term sustainable peace, including through allowing the UN to restart without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation, agreeing to a ceasefire, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.

We will make an assessment ahead of UNGA on how far the parties have met these steps. No one side will have a veto on recognition through their actions or inactions.  

But recognition by itself will not change the situation on the ground.

We are therefore taking additional immediate steps to alleviate the humanitarian situation, including air drops of humanitarian supplies along with Jordan, and getting injured children out of Gaza and into British hospitals alongside pressing strongly for UN deliveries of humanitarian assistance to resume. 

We also believe that a ceasefire will not last without urgent work on governance and security in Gaza, and the prospect of a long-term political settlement. We are therefore preparing a plan with our key allies for longer-term political negotiations and a two-state solution.

First Minister: Recognition should be irreversible and not conditional

First Minister John Swinney has responded to the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement that the UK intends to recognise the State of Palestine.

The First Minister said: “Having called on the UK Government to recognise the State of Palestine, I welcome the intent behind this announcement. However, recognition of a Palestinian state should be irreversible.

“Recognition must not be conditional and must be backed by sanctions against Israel if the violence continues.

“Israel must today agree to a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid to flow in much more volume to address the starvation being faced in Gaza.

“A two-state solution is the only way that the Palestinian and Israeli peoples can have a future, living side-by-side in peace and security. The Palestinian people deserve no less.

“This announcement comes on the day that the number of deaths reported passed 60,000, a truly horrific milestone that shames us all. 

“The Israeli government must commit to end the killing and comply with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes. We must see the unconditional release of all hostages.”

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Palestinian statehood is not a bargaining chip. It is not a threat. It is an inalienable right of the Palestinian people.

“Our demands on this shameful government remain the same: end all arms sales to Israel, impose widespread sanctions, and stop the genocide, now.”

ISRAELI leader Benjamin Netanyahu said the UK stance is ‘rewarding Hamas terrorism’.

Gaza crisis: Emergency cabinet meeting to be held following Trump – Starmer meeting

The Prime Minister met US President Donald Trump in Scotland yesterday.

The leaders began by discussing the appalling scenes in Gaza and agreed that urgent action was needed to bring an end to the suffering, which has reached new depths. Humanitarian aid had to be allowed in at scale and pace. 

They committed to work together to bring an end to the misery and starvation and continue to press for the immediate release of the remaining hostages, who have been held so cruelly for so long. 

They reiterated their calls for an immediate ceasefire to pave the way for peace in the region and the Prime Minister welcomed the President’s efforts to secure this, and shared the plans he is working on with other European leaders to bring about a lasting peace. 

Turning to Ukraine, the leaders agreed that they must maintain momentum to bring about an end to the war with Russia, including by putting economic pressure on Putin to come to the table without further delay. 

On the landmark Economic Prosperity Deal, the leaders remarked on how beneficial the deal is for working people in the UK and the US and agreed to continue to work together to build further on their close and strong economic relationship. 

The leaders discussed plans for the President’s upcoming State Visit in September, which they both looked forward to.

The Prime Minister will update the cabinet on the peace plan proposals at an emergency meeting later today.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney is scheduled to meet the US President this morning.

‘Temporary humanitarian pause’ in Gaza: Lammy statement

The Foreign Secretary has issued a statement following yesterday’s announcement of a temporary humanitarian pause by the IDF in Gaza:

Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said : “The humanitarian suffering in Gaza has 2reached new depths.

“The Prime Minister has already announced plans to work with Jordan to get aid into Gaza and to evacuate children who need critical medical assistance to the UK for treatment.

“Today’s announcement of a temporary pause by the IDF to allow humanitarian corridors to open and aid drops to resume is essential but long overdue. Access to aid must therefore be urgently accelerated over the coming hours and days.

“This announcement alone cannot alleviate the needs of those desperately suffering in Gaza. We need a ceasefire that can end the war, for hostages to be released and aid to enter Gaza by land unhindered.

“Whilst airdrops will help to alleviate the worst of the suffering, land routes serve as the only viable and sustainable means of providing aid into Gaza.

“These measures must be fully implemented and further barriers on aid removed. The world is watching.

“The UK supports the efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the US as mediators and urges all parties to resume talks on a pathway for lasting peace and security.”

But in the meantime, the UK continues to arm Israel … WHY ???

‘The Israeli aid system is inhumane, ineffective, dangerous and fuelling instability’

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council open debate on the Middle East Peace Process:

‘My Foreign Secretary has been unequivocal: the war in Gaza must end now. Hamas and Israel must both commit to a ceasefire now.

‘A ceasefire is within reach and we urge all sides to make it a reality, to secure the release of the hostages, who have been cruelly held by Hamas since 7 October, and to end the appalling suffering of Palestinian civilians.

‘I will make three points.

‘First, the Israeli aid system is inhumane, ineffective, dangerous and fuelling instability. Reports and images this week of children dying from starvation are beyond horrific.

‘The IDF is shooting at desperate Palestinian civilians on an almost daily basis. Hamas is exploiting this disorder.

‘We call on Israel to end these attacks, hold those responsible to account and to work with the UN to implement effective aid distribution in line with humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law.

‘And let me reaffirm the UK’s firm and unequivocal support for the UN and OCHA in their brave efforts to get aid into Gaza.

‘We also condemn recent strikes on the WHO in Deir al Balah. Humanitarians and civilians must be protected.

‘Second, we condemn Defence Minister Katz’s proposals of forced displacement to Rafah.

‘Illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank continues at pace as well as settler violence, and even terrorism, against Palestinians. This is an accelerating campaign to prevent a Palestinian state.

‘We condemn these attacks and call for Israel to hold its citizens to account.

‘We also oppose the reintroduction of the E1 settlement plan, which is a flagrant breach of international law.

‘Third, we are clear that Hamas must play no future role in the governance of Gaza or be able to threaten Israel’s security again.

‘However, the organisation which represents a credible alternative to Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, is being undermined by Israeli actions.

‘Israel is withholding $2.6 billion in clearance revenues, crippling the Palestinian economy and pushing essential health and education services to the brink. This is not conducive to Israel’s security.

‘President, the United Kingdom is resolute in our commitment to a two-state solution and my Foreign Secretary has been clear that we are prepared to take further action to prevent the forcible erosion of the only viable path to lasting peace.

‘Next week’s conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is a vital opportunity to demonstrate the strength of international resolve to secure a better future for Israelis, Palestinians and the region.’

MORE FINE WORDS, BUT CONDEMNATION ALONE WILL NOT SAVE A SINGLE LIFE. OUR GOVERNMENT KNOWS FULL WELL THAT ACTION IS LONG OVERDUE – AND THE UK CONTINUES TO SUPPORT AND PROVIDE ARMS TO ISRAEL.

WE ARE COMPLICIT IN ISRAEL’s WAR CRIMES.

HOW MANY MORE CIVILIANS WILL BE SLAUGHTERED OR DIE THROUGH STARVATION BEFORE NEXT WEEK’S ‘VITAL’ CONFERENCE – Ed.?

Foreign Secretary statement on the Middle East

Foreign Secretary David Lammy made a statement to parliament on the Middle East yesterday:

With permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the Middle East.

I’ll begin on Syria.

We have been horrified by the recent violence in the south, including civilian deaths.

Clashes between Druze and Bedouin militias have quickly escalated into intense fighting between government forces and further Israeli strikes on the Syrian military.

As I said directly to Foreign Minister Shaibani we want to see the fighting ended, civilians protected and the rights of all Syrians upheld.

The violence in Suwayda must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.

We want humanitarian access to be restored, aid delivered and Syria’s sovereignty must be respected. 

The UK can be proud of our support to the Syrian people over many, many years.

And a stable Syria matters to the UK’s national interest, for terrorism, for irregular migration, for regional stability.

We must work to prevent extremism, sectarianism or lawlessness taking hold now that Assad is gone.

That’s why we are backing a sustainable ceasefire and that is why we support an inclusive transition.

And that’s why I visited Damascus recently to support and to press the new government to meet its commitments.

I will now turn to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

It’s two and a half months since Prime Minister Netanyahu restarted offensive operations.

The IDF has driven Palestinians out of 86 per cent of Gaza, leaving around two million people trapped in an area scarcely over twenty square miles.

Whatever this Israeli government might claim, repeated displacement of so many civilians is not keeping them safe. In fact, it’s quite the reverse.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the new Israeli aid system is inhumane, it’s dangerous and it deprives Gazans of human dignity.

It contradicts long-stablished humanitarian principles. It creates disorder Hamas is exploiting with distribution points reduced from 400 to just four.

It forces desperate civilians, children among them, to scramble unsafely for the essentials of life.

It’s a grotesque spectacle, wreaking a terrible human cost.

Almost 1000 civilians have been killed since May seeking aid, including 100 over this weekend alone.

There are near daily reports of Israeli troops opening fire on people trying to access food.

Israeli jets have hit women and children waiting for a health clinic to open.

An Israeli drone has struck down children filling water containers which Israeli officials blamed on a ‘technical error’.

Hamas is contributing to the chaos and taking advantage of it.

I utterly condemn the killing of civilians seeking to meet their most basic needs.

The Israeli government must answer:

What possible military justification can there be for strikes that have killed desperate, starving children?

What immediate actions are they taking to stop this litany of horrors?

What will they do to hold those responsible to account?

Mr Deputy Speaker, I have said before I am a steadfast supporter of Israel’s security and right to exist.

I treasure the many connections between our peoples

And the horrors of October 7th must never be forgotten.

But I firmly believe the Israeli government’s actions are doing untold damage to Israel’s standing in the world and undermining Israel’s long-term security.

Netanyahu should listen to the Israeli people, 82 per cent of whom desperately want a ceasefire.

And to the hostages’ families because they know it offers the best chance to bring their loved ones home.

Those hostages may be hidden in cramped tunnels under the ruins of Gaza but we will not forget them or Hamas’s despicable actions and we will continue to demand their unconditional release.

This offensive puts them in grave danger.

But still Netanyahu persists.

Indeed, Minister Katz has gone further proposing to drive Gaza’s entire population into Rafah, imprisoning Palestinians, unless persuaded to emigrate.

Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a cruel vision which must never come to pass.

I condemn it unequivocally.

Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.

Many Israelis themselves are appalled.

A former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said ‘it marches us into the abyss’. He was right.

Mr Speaker, today I joined a joint statement by 25 Foreign Ministers with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.

There is no military solution.

Negotiations will secure the hostages.

Further bloodshed serves no purpose. 

Hamas and Israel must both commit to a ceasefire now. 

And the next ceasefire must be the last ceasefire.

I thank the US, Qatar, and Egypt for their tireless efforts.

And I am sure all Members share my intense frustration it has not happened.

Until there is such a breakthrough, we must keep doing all we can to relieve suffering.

UK aid has saved lives.

Reaching hundreds of thousands with food, water, hygiene, and sanitation, and essential healthcare.

And under the most appalling circumstances our aid is saving lives today.

That includes, the almost nine million pounds the UK has provided to UK-Med, since we entered office,

reaching half a million patients inside Gaza, 24,000 in the past fortnight alone.

Like 3-year old Razan.

UK-funded medics removed a bullet from her neck after nearly three hours of surgery.

These doctors and nurses working in the most extreme conditions are true heroes.

They deserve the thanks and admiration of the entire House.

We are also working, of course, multilaterally.

The 149 trucks from the World Food Programme and UNICEF entering Gaza in recent day included food supplies funded by the UK.

And thousands more trucks laden with aid paid for by British taxpayers can enter, the moment the Israeli government lets it.

Today, I am announcing an extra £40 million for humanitarian assistance in Gaza this year, including seven and a half million for UK-Med to sustain their vital operations in Gaza and save more lives.

Mr Deputy Speaker, accompanying the horrors in Gaza, there is an accelerating campaign to prevent a future Palestinian state in the West Bank.

It’s embraced by Netanyahu, it’s encouraged by his Ministers. It’s driven by an extremist ideology which wants to suffocate the two-state solution, the only route to a lasting peace and security.

We see it in the unprecedented pace of settlement expansion.

In the shocking levels of settler violence, even settler terrorism,

for that is what the most egregious ideological attacks are.

And in the deliberate attempts to squeeze the Palestinian Authority, unjustly denying it access to its own funds, and it harms Israel’s long-term interests.

Now, the Israeli government is reintroducing plans to construct new units in the E1 area of occupied east Jerusalem.

If built, this settlement would separate the West Bank’s north from its south and Palestinians in the West Bank from East Jerusalem.

These plans are wholly unacceptable.

They are illegal.

And they must not happen.

Mr Deputy Speaker, we are also striving to keep open the prospects of a two-state solution.

UK assistance has been preserving the Palestinian Authority, contributing to essential Palestinian workers’ salaries and supporting them to progress critical reforms.

Today, I can confirm we are enhancing our support, providing £7 million to strengthen the PA and Palestinian governance, implementing the agreement signed by myself and PM Mustafa earlier this year.

And we’re delivering the reform plans President Abbas has set out.

I can also confirm that we are providing £20 million to support UNRWA’s many services for Palestinian refugees.

And alongside this support, we are leading diplomatic efforts to show there must be a viable peaceful pathway to a Palestinian state, involving the PA, not Hamas, in security and governance of the area.

Hamas can have no role in the governance of Gaza nor use it as a launchpad for terrorism.

Israeli Ministers should support the PA – not actively undermine its economy, as Ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are doing.

The UK is co-leading with Egypt the humanitarian and reconstruction track for the forthcoming Two-State Solution Conference.

And we are pushing to agree plans for a credible next phase in Gaza with a responsible, reformed PA at their core.

So we turn any temporary ceasefire into a lasting peace.

Mr Deputy Speaker, in our year in office, this Labour Government has acted to address this horrendous conflict.

We restored funding to UNRWA, after the Tories froze it.

We suspended arms export licenses, when the Tories declined to act.

We have provided nearly a quarter of a billion in humanitarian assistance, this year and next, getting medical treatment and food to hundreds of thousands of civilians in Gaza.

We have stood with the hostage families at every stage.

We’ve worked with Jordan to fly medicines into Gaza, with Egypt to treat medically evacuated civilians, with Kuwait and UNICEF to help children in Gaza.

We’ve delivered three sanctions packages on violent settlers, suspended trade negotiations with this Israeli government and sanctioned far-right Israeli Ministers for incitement.

We have defended the independence of international courts. We signed a landmark agreement with the Palestinian Authority, and hosted the Palestinian Prime Minister in London, pushing for the reform it needs.

We called for…

worked for…

and voted for…

an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages at every possible opportunity.

And we will keep doing so until this war is over, Hamas release the hostages and we finally have a pathway to a two-state solution.

I commend this statement to the House.

But while Lammy spoke, our country continues to supply Israel with weapons being used to slaughter innocent people in the Middle East.

Actions, not words.

Statement on humanitarian aid to Gaza

Joint statement on behalf of 26 humanitarian partners on aid to Gaza and the proposal for a new aid delivery model

Joint statement:

“Whilst we acknowledge indications of a limited restart of aid, Israel blocked humanitarian aid entering Gaza for over two months. Food, medicines and essential supplies are exhausted. The population faces starvation. Gaza’s people must receive the aid they desperately need.  

“Prior to the aid block, the UN and humanitarian NGOs delivered aid into Gaza, working with great courage, at the risk of their lives and in the face of major access challenges imposed by Israel. These organisations subscribe to upholding humanitarian principles, operating independently, with neutrality, impartiality and humanity. They have the logistical capacity, expertise and operational coverage to deliver assistance across Gaza to those who need it most.  

“Israel’s security cabinet has reportedly approved a new model for delivering aid into Gaza, which the UN and our humanitarian partners cannot support. They are clear that they will not participate in any arrangement that does not fully respect the humanitarian principles. Humanitarian principles matter for every conflict around the world and should be applied consistently in every warzone.

“The UN has raised concerns that the proposed model cannot deliver aid effectively, at the speed and scale required. It places beneficiaries and aid workers at risk, undermines the role and independence of the UN and our trusted partners, and links humanitarian aid to political and military objectives.  Humanitarian aid should never be politicised, and Palestinian territory must not be reduced nor subjected to any demographic change.  

“As humanitarian donors, we have two straightforward messages for the Government of Israel: allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.

“We remain committed to meeting the acute needs we see in Gaza. We also reiterate our firm message that Hamas must immediately release all remaining hostages and allow humanitarian assistance to be distributed without interference.

“It is our firm conviction that an immediate return to a ceasefire and working towards the implementation of a two-state solution are the only way to bring peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long-term stability for the whole region.”

This statement has been signed by:

  • The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. 
  • The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, the EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management and the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean.

UK Government: ‘Israel – lift the block on aid entering Gaza NOW’

Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer made a statement to the House of Commons on Gaza Yesterday

Mr Speaker,

Yesterday, alongside partners, the UK convened a meeting of the UN Security Council in response to the intolerable civilian suffering and humanitarian need in Gaza.

As I told this House yesterday, Israel’s denial of aid is appalling. 

Tonnes of food are currently sitting rotting at the Gaza/Israel border, blocked from reaching people who are starving.

Israeli Ministers have said Israel’s decision to block this aid is a “pressure lever”.

This is cruel and it is indefensible.

Overnight yet more Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes.

This must end.

The message yesterday was clear.

The world wants Israel to stop and change course immediately.

With our allies we are telling the Government of Israel:  lift the block on aid entering Gaza now. Enable the UN and all humanitarians to save lives, now. We need an immediate ceasefire, now.

Humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool or military tactic. And the UK will not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk.

The International Court of Justice case on genocide is ongoing. Mr Speaker, We support the ICJ. We support its independence.

The ICJ issued a set of provisional measures in this case and we support those measures.

Israel has an obligation to implement them.

It is the UK government’s long-standing position that any formal determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court, and not for governments or non-judicial bodies.

The UK is fully committed to upholding our responsibilities under domestic and international law.

And we have at all times acted in a manner consistent with our legal obligations, including under the Genocide Convention.

The devastation from this conflict must end.

Our complete focus is on lifting Israeli restrictions on aid, On freeing the hostages held by Hamas, On protecting civilians, And on restoring the ceasefire.

We will work urgently with our allies and partners on further pressure to make Israel change course.

NAMED: Three British aid workers killed by Israel in Gaza air strike

The three British aid workers killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza have been named. John Chapman, 57, James Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47, were among seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers killed in Monday’s strike.

The other victims were Australian, Polish, Palestinian and a US-Canadian citizen. The charity has paused its operations in Gaza, where there are growing concerns of mass starvation.

In a statement , World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore said: “These are the heroes of WCK. These 7 beautiful souls were killed by the IDF in a strike as they were returning from a full day’s mission. Their smiles, laughter, and voices are forever embedded in our memories.”

wck.org/news/honoring-gaza-team

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last night.

He said he was appalled by the killing of aid workers, including three British nationals, in an airstrike in Gaza yesterday and demanded a thorough and transparent independent investigation into what happened. 

The Prime Minister said far too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza and the situation is increasingly intolerable. The UK expects to see immediate action by Israel to end restrictions on humanitarian aid, deconflict with the UN and aid agencies, protect civilians and repair vital infrastructure like hospitals and water networks. 

The Prime Minister reiterated that Israel’s rightful aim of defeating Hamas would not be achieved by allowing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Mr Natanyahu’s response is not recorded, but he is yet to make a public apology for the killings. Meanwhile, the slaughter continues unabated and 1.7 million Palestinians face starvation.

“This is unconscionable – but it is an inevitable result of the way the war is being conducted.” – @antonioguterres on airstrike that killed aid workers in Gaza.

196 humanitarians, including 175 UN staff, have been killed since October.

https://un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2024-04-02/secretary-generals-remarks-the-informal-plenary-meeting-of-the-general-assembly-human-security-delivered

Largest UK aid delivery enters Gaza to feed 275,000 people

UK funding to World Food Programme supports major aid delivery in Gaza via Jordanian land corridor

The UK’s largest delivery of aid to Gaza has crossed the border and is being distributed by the United Nations to families in need, the Foreign Secretary has confirmed. 

More than 2,000 tonnes of food aid, funded by the government, is being distributed by the World Food Programme (WFP) on the ground. 

This adds to the 150 tonnes of UK funded relief items including blankets and tents, which arrived last Wednesday 13 March, and will be distributed by UNICEF. A full UK field hospital run by UK-Med has also arrived in Gaza and is now operational and providing life-saving care.

The delivery includes fortified wheat flour for use in bakeries, hot meals and well as Ready To Eat (RTE) food parcels. The food parcels will be used to feed more than 275,000 people in Gaza. Each food parcel is designed for family of five and consists of canned vegetables, meat and fish, and date bars. The parcel can meet half of the daily calorie needs of the family for 15 days.  

This comes in the week that a report from Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that famine is imminent in the northern Gaza Strip and the south faces a risk of famine if conditions continue to worsen.  

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “It’s crucial that we keep the flow of aid moving into Gaza to end the suffering, and that’s why this latest delivery of aid by WFP is so vitally important.

“The IPC’s report warns of imminent famine. We need sustained humanitarian access by road to get more aid in. We continue to push Israel to allow more crossings to open and for longer, and for healthcare, water and sanitation to be restored.”

Since the opening of the corridor in December 2023, the Government of Jordan, with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, has worked to ensure the passage of almost 600 trucks of humanitarian assistance into Gaza carrying 8,000 tons of relief and food items. 

Humanitarian assistance from 10 different international aid agencies – including from UK partners WFP and UNICEF – has reached Gaza. 

The latest delivery was again facilitated by Jordan, who have been instrumental in supporting the UK’s humanitarian response.

The UK is committed to ensuring aid reaches those who need it most, as Palestinians continue to face a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary has been clear that Israel must increase capacity to safely distribute aid within Gaza.

This includes opening a land crossing in the north and issuing more visas to UN staff who are capable of delivering aid when it arrives in Gaza.

Emergency appeal launched to help children on the brink of starvation

International school feeding charity Mary’s Meals is asking for urgent support in response to the spiralling hunger crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray region 

Mary’s Meals has launched an emergency appeal to deliver urgent food aid to children in Ethiopia who are on the brink of starvation. 

The current situation in Ethiopia is dire. A combination of drought, displacement, and brutal conflict has left huge areas of the country in crisis. Having lived through the atrocities of the Tigray War, millions of Ethiopians are facing emergency levels of food insecurity and hunger. 

The most recent assessment of food security needs from the Government of Ethiopia projected that 15.8 million people in the East African country will face hunger and need food assistance in 2024. This includes more than four million internally displaced people and 7.2 million experiencing high levels of food insecurity and needing emergency help1. 

International school feeding charity Mary’s Meals has been working in Ethiopia since 2017 and feeds 24,320 children every school day. With its local partner, it provides daily school meals to marginalised and disadvantaged children in the impoverished Tigray region in the north-east of the country, close to the Eritrean border. 

The Tigray region is one of the worst affected by the hunger crisis. According to the BBC, 200,000 children in Tigray have left school in the last three months alone2, with many of them working, begging or scavenging for food to survive. 

During the civil war, Mary’s Meals provided community feeding programmes to 30,000 people while schools were closed and families were displaced. 

Following the ceasefire agreement in November 2022 and the re-opening of schools, Mary’s Meals has now fully reinstated its school feeding programme across Tigray. This is bringing hungry children back into education and providing a lifeline to them and their families living in extreme poverty in these challenging days.  

But with an estimated 7.6 million children in Ethiopia out of school because of the conflict and climate shocks3, it is critical that the programme is extended to attract more children into the classroom where they will be given energy to learn and the hope of a brighter future. 

Now, there is an urgent dual priority – ensuring that children in Tigray have food and boosting their chances of engaging with education again. 

Matt Barlow, Executive Director of Mary’s Meals, says: “The stories we are hearing from our partner in Ethiopia are simply devastating. 

“The two-year civil war has caused widespread destruction and left physical and mental scars on people all over Tigray, including children – many of whom have missed years of schooling and who are now starving. The war has undone years of progress in Tigray’s education system and we know the impact of children missing years of learning is huge. 

“With your support, we can bring these hungry children back to the classroom and give them a nutritious meal which will allow them to focus on their lessons and give them an education. Ultimately this will help to lift them, their families and communities out of the extreme poverty they are living in”. 

As funds allow, Mary’s Meals’ partner is ready and waiting to extend its feeding programme to more schools, in areas of great need across the region. They will work together to reach as many more children as possible with daily meals in school over the coming weeks and months. 

Matt continues: “The situation is urgent. But there is something you can do. You can help to bring these desperate children back from the brink of starvation. 

“Throughout the UK, I have witnessed people respond with incredible acts of kindness in moments of crisis and when all hope may seem lost.

“Now, we need your support. Please donate what you can today – even the smallest donation can help to save a life.” 

To find out more about the Mary’s Meals Crisis in Ethiopia appeal, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk/campaigns/crisis-in-ethiopia