Gaza Needs a Ceasefire, Now

by Oxfam Canada | October 20, 2023
Article Tags:
Background media: The destruction was caused by the Israeli airstrikes in Al Remal neighbourhood in the middle of Gaza City during the 4th day of the escalation.

Gaza Needs a Ceasefire, Now

The alarming surge in violence in Gaza and Israel has taken a terrible toll on civilians, plunging Gaza's population into a state of dire desperation. More than two million people are under siege, with little to no food, water, fuel or electricity. Hundreds of families have been killed. People have lost loved ones, houses and income. At least a million have had to flee their homes, but finding safety is nearly impossible. This is now a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

by Vita Sgardello | Oct 20, 2023

“Never in Oxfam’s history have we seen a humanitarian crisis like the one in Gaza,” said Oxfam GB Chief Executive Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah in the Guardian.

“Usually, when there is a crisis, we have a way to deliver aid – perhaps we have to overcome logistical challenges, fix a road, or a truck. This time, we are ready to deliver aid, but there is no way for us to reach the people who need it,” said Diana Sarosi, Oxfam Canada’s Director of Policy and Campaigns.

“Never in Oxfam’s history have we seen a humanitarian crisis like the one in Gaza,” said Oxfam GB Chief Executive Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah in the Guardian.

“Usually, when there is a crisis, we have a way to deliver aid – perhaps we have to overcome logistical challenges, fix a road, or a truck. This time, we are ready to deliver aid, but there is no way for us to reach the people who need it,” said Diana Sarosi, Oxfam Canada’s Director of Policy and Campaigns.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating over more than ten days of bombing and the blocking of basic humanitarian assistance. Food, safe shelter, and medical care are already out of reach for hundreds of thousands of people.

“There is no power, no food, and now no water in Gaza. It risks becoming a breeding ground for cholera and other diseases,” says Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International’s executive director. “The situation for civilians is already intolerable. Humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza now.”

WARNING: Background Image Alt Description is missing!!
Photo: Marwan Sawwaf/Alef Multimedia/Oxfam

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating over more than ten days of bombing and the blocking of basic humanitarian assistance. Food, safe shelter, and medical care are already out of reach for hundreds of thousands of people.

“There is no power, no food, and now no water in Gaza. It risks becoming a breeding ground for cholera and other diseases,” says Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International’s executive director. “The situation for civilians is already intolerable. Humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza now.”

WARNING: Background Image Alt Description is missing!!
Photo Credit: Marwan Sawwaf/ Alef Multimedia/ Oxfam

All five of Gaza’s wastewater treatment plants and most of its 65 sewage pumping stations have been forced to close. Untreated sewage is now being discharged into the sea, and, in some areas, solid waste is accumulating in the streets.

Clean water has now virtually run out. Some people are being forced to drink unsafe water from farm wells. A UN group focused on water and sanitation—of which Oxfam is a member—says that only three liters of water a day are now available per person in Gaza.

Despite the incredible difficulties, two local organizations Oxfam supports in Gaza have put together a plan to help people now crammed into shelters with hygiene kits (containing soaps, shampoo, sanitary pads and toothpaste) and cash for food from one of the few supermarkets still open.

The commitment of our partners to help is inspiring. But no meaningful humanitarian response can happen without a stop to the violence
Behar Photo: Savvy Soumya Misra/Oxfam

“We have no water, no food, no Internet,” says Wassem Mushtaha, Oxfam’s manager in Gaza, who fled with his family and traveled for three days to a relative’s house in Khan Younis. They are now living in two apartments housing 120 people, where they have had no water for two days. He says his son told him, “My dream is to have a shower.”

Civilians trapped in Gaza are running out of time. We urgently need a ceasefire today to ensure vital humanitarian aid can reach those who need it the most. This is the only possible option to prevent an even greater humanitarian catastrophe.

WARNING: Background Image Alt Description is missing!!
Photo: Saed Fadel/Oxfam

We need your voice now more than ever

Time is of the essence, and we need your solidarity today. Lives depend on it.

Please sign the petition
Tagged , ,

Discover more stories

The Camino Verde Project Surpasses Targets in Securing Enrollment in Agricultural and Veterinary Schools for Indigenous Women and Youth Across Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

Tags: Climate Change, Women's Transformative Leadership, Women’s Economic Justice

Camino Verde, a significant five-year project that successfully ran from March 2019 to October 2024, was launched in the predominantly Indigenous north-central region of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, the most economically disadvantaged area in the country.

by Kim Pallozzi | December 20, 2024

Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza: Oxfam’s Response and How to Take Action

Tags: Conflict and War, Emergency Response

For more than sixty harrowing days, the already dire situation in North Gaza has grown even more catastrophic. Palestinians are enduring unimaginable suffering, trapped in a humanitarian nightmare without food,…

by Oxfam Canada | December 17, 2024

Share this page: