Gaza war urges World Vision to a Call to Cessation of Hostilities
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
In a call upon all parties in the current violence among Palestinian factions, World Vision urges all sides to put aside their guns and resolve their differences peacefully. They should
make paramount the well-being and humanitarian concerns of innocent civilians especially children.
After a week of intense fighting, the Palestinian Islamist faction Hamas controls the Gaza Strip. More than 100 people have died and hundreds have been injured in the clashes. About 1.4 million Palestinians reside in Gaza, among them 838,000 Children.
'We appeal to all parties to the conflict to cease all hostilities and negotiate an end to the current crisis,' said Charles Clayton, director of World Vision Jerusalem. 'What children are enduring under the current situation is deeply troubling. The two Palestinian factions must do all they can to protect children's welfare and prioritise their safety,' Clayton concluded.
Two United Nations employees were among the deaths. They worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which in response suspended all its work in the Gaza Strip apart from emergency medical services and food distribution.
In a similar step, the European Union announced, that it is suspending all humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip. World Vision has also suspended its activities in Gaza, and is updating its emergency response plans in the meantime. Serious food and medicine shortages are expected very soon, since all crossings into Gaza are blocked.
In a message to the world and its leaders, World Vision stipulates the following calls among others:
After a week of intense fighting, the Palestinian Islamist faction Hamas controls the Gaza Strip. More than 100 people have died and hundreds have been injured in the clashes. About 1.4 million Palestinians reside in Gaza, among them 838,000 Children.
'We appeal to all parties to the conflict to cease all hostilities and negotiate an end to the current crisis,' said Charles Clayton, director of World Vision Jerusalem. 'What children are enduring under the current situation is deeply troubling. The two Palestinian factions must do all they can to protect children's welfare and prioritise their safety,' Clayton concluded.
Two United Nations employees were among the deaths. They worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which in response suspended all its work in the Gaza Strip apart from emergency medical services and food distribution.
In a similar step, the European Union announced, that it is suspending all humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip. World Vision has also suspended its activities in Gaza, and is updating its emergency response plans in the meantime. Serious food and medicine shortages are expected very soon, since all crossings into Gaza are blocked.
In a message to the world and its leaders, World Vision stipulates the following calls among others:
- For an immediate cease-fire, a respect for humanitarian institutions and to refrain from targeting civilians.
- A renewed commitment by all sides to trust building measures that will improve the lives of the Palestinian people.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
