MOSCOW, Aug 14 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) — More than 100 non-governmental organisations, including the Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) medical aid charity, have condemned Israel’s refusal to allow lifesaving humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported.
“Instead of clearing the growing backlog of goods, Israeli authorities have rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in lifesaving goods, citing that these organisations are ‘not authorised to deliver aid’ … This obstruction has left millions of dollars’ worth of food, medicine, water, and shelter items stranded in warehouses across Jordan and Egypt, while Palestinians are being starved,” they said in a joint statement published on Wednesday.
The nonprofits criticised Israel for misleading the public with claims that there is no limit on aid entering the Gaza Strip, while most international organisations have been unable to deliver aid to the enclave since March 2.
Over 60 requests to transport aid were rejected by Israel in July alone.
The organisations called on the international community to put pressure Israel “to end the weaponisation of aid, including through bureaucratic obstruction, such as the INGO registration procedures,” referring to Israel’s recently introduced registration measures for international NGOs.
The Gaza health ministry said on Wednesday that the total number of deaths from malnutrition in the Palestinian enclave had risen to 235. This includes 106 children.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said last week that Israel’s denial of food to the civilians in Gaza may constitute a crime against humanity.
— BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI