Responding to the latest IPC report on food insecurity levels in Gaza, Daw Mohammed, Interim Country Director for CARE International in Palestine, said:
“In recent decades, the international community has too often placed emphasis on terminology rather than humanity, failing to truly recognise the depth of suffering caused by hunger.”
Data on food insecurity helps humanitarian organizations plan their response, but the process of determining the difference between hunger and catastrophic food insecurity is irrelevant for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, many of whom have starved to death or will never fully recover from the ravages of hunger.
As we enter the ninth month of hell for the people of Gaza, the scale and intensity of the hostilities has made data collection a life-or-death task, a fight for survival. Rather than waiting for starvation to decide, we must heed the call of humanity and act now.
We need an immediate and lasting ceasefire; a significant increase in the safe flow of aid supplies and aid workers in and out of the Gaza Strip; access to water, fuel and basic health services for all; and the release of all hostages. There is no time to wait any longer.”
For media enquiries please contact Kate Wiggans, Senior Humanitarian Communications Coordinator at CARE International. [email protected]
