APRIL 26, 2024 – As Israel escalates its military offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza, 1.5 million men, women and children sheltering there, already facing total deprivation and apocalyptic living conditions, are clinging to survival by a thread.
CARE is joining the global outcry demanding that this operation be immediately halted. An immediate and sustained ceasefire must be implemented, as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2728. Civilians in Rafah and throughout Gaza must be protected and the rights of people to seek protection across borders must be upheld, as well as their right to return.
“The laws of war are clear and must be followed. That this assault is launched on a people already exhausted, starving and with no clear route to safety is hard enough to contemplate. That it happens despite months of desperate pleas for a ceasefire is a cruel and heart-breaking blow,” said Hiba Tibi, CARE’s Country Director for CARE West Bank and Gaza.
Already living in tightly packed and overcrowded spaces, battling the consequences of extreme hunger, limited water supply and months of repeated displacement, the chance of survival for tens of thousands of Palestinians is now increasingly scarce.
Not only is Israel ignoring the demands of the UN Security Council, and of its closest allies, it is flouting the order by the International Court of Justice to take concrete steps to prevent genocide and ensure that humanitarian and basic needs are met.
World leaders have been firm in their position: a military offensive would wreak catastrophic harm on tens of thousands of civilians in Rafah — women, children, elderly, the sick and wounded, who have nowhere else to go. Israel, as the Occupying Power, must prevent unimaginable horror and uphold its obligations to protect civilians in Gaza and not to forcibly displace or transfer the civilian population.
Across Gaza today, at least 1 in every 23 people are dead or injured, and more than 80% of the population has been displaced. Two mothers die each hour. World leaders and governments must not accept this escalation and must apply the very highest diplomatic instruments at their disposal to avert this human disaster.
“The cries of Palestinians must be heard. This city, home to about 250,000 people before, has become a makeshift sanctuary for 1.5 million desperate souls. If the world does not come together to end this needless carnage now, the silence that will follow will haunt us forever,” said Tibi.
-30-
CARE has spokespeople available. For media inquiries, please contact:
Media Relations
CARE Canada
media@care.ca
CARE West Bank and Gaza
CARE International has been operating in the West Bank and Gaza since 1948. Prior to the current conflict, we were supporting about 200,000 Palestinians in Gaza and we continue to support about 300,000 in the West Bank to meet basic food needs, improve farming and agriculture, empower women to earn an income, support women’s leadership, and improve health programs focused on gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and children’s mental health.
Since the escalation of the conflict, the CARE team in Gaza was able to reach over 250,000 vulnerable displaced people with hygiene kits, shelter items such as blankets and mattresses, and drinking water. CARE also reached over 67,000 people with medical support, including medications, medical supplies and primary health services.
About CARE Canada:
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package ℠, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization working around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. CARE puts women and girls at the centre of our work because we know we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. CARE develops solutions alongside women and girls to lift themselves, their families, and communities out of poverty and out of crisis. CARE works in over 100 countries around the world.
To learn more about CARE Canada, visit care.ca.