The organization is working to scale up support for Al Awda’s hospitals in Jabalia and Nuseirat
Relief International welcomes the news of a ceasefire in Gaza. However, the organization says it is deeply distressed that 70 people have been killed and 200 wounded since the agreement was announced yesterday.
Craig Redmond, CEO of Relief International, says: “This further suffering must stop immediately. The ceasefire has to begin without delay.
With support from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Relief International is supporting Al Awda’s hospitals in Jabalia and Nuseirat.
Speaking of those killed last night, a Relief International staff member says: “I am deeply saddened by the killing of Faten, a colleague who worked at Al Awda’s hospital in Nuseirat as a Nurse Supervisor.
“Tragically 13 of her family members, including all of her children, were also killed. It caused me immense pain throughout last night. Seeing their bodies was incredibly difficult. This morning, her kind husband, Ra’fat, a human rights advocate, also passed away. I hope they can all rest in peace now.”
After 468 days of relentless bombardment and destruction, leaving more than 46,000 dead and 1.9 million people displaced, Relief International says a ceasefire is a step in the right direction to address the catastrophe in Gaza.
Families have been torn apart, children carry the heavy burden of trauma, and healthcare systems are at breaking point. Only last week, Al Awda Association’s hospital in Jabalia became the last remaining healthcare facility still barely functioning in North Gaza.
Craig continues, “The agreement must ensure that civilians have guaranteed access to the humanitarian aid they desperately need, as well as the essential services they have been stripped of like healthcare, water, and shelter.
“We will be working to rapidly scale up supplies including medicine and hospital beds for Al Awda’s hospitals in Jabalia and Nuseirat where staff have been providing life-saving treatment under unimaginable conditions.
“Critically the agreement must then be upheld permanently, allowing for the long overdue recovery of Gaza to begin.”
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About Relief International
Relief International is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing. Our team of more than 7,000 staff and local volunteers work in 15 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience. We do this by working with local actors to develop safe and inclusive local programming that is evidence based, conflict sensitive, climate smart, and reaches those in need.