London and three Western countries call for humanitarian access to Gaza
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Libération (Maroc) and Al Jazeera
The United Kingdom, Italy, Australia and Canada are calling on Israel to grant 'immediate' humanitarian access to Gaza, where 150,000 tents and other vital supplies remain blocked at the border. According to Libération (Morocco), citing a joint statement from their foreign ministers, recent flooding has killed five people, including three children.
The foreign ministers of four Western countries, London, Rome, Canberra and Ottawa, signed a joint statement on Sunday calling on Israel to open crossing points into Gaza and to allow tents for displaced people to enter. They demand 'immediate, rapid and unhindered' humanitarian access to the entire territory, stressing that the situation can still be improved before winter sets in.
The torrential rain this month has swept away tens of thousands of tents and left many families homeless. According to the Global Shelter Cluster, Gaza needs at least 1.7 million mattresses and 121,000 tents to face the cold and rainy season. UNICEF also estimates that 1.7 million displaced people, out of roughly 2.1 million inhabitants, live in tents, makeshift shelters or damaged buildings.
Since the start of the war in October 2023, Israel has imposed a total blockade on the territory, restricting access even to essential goods such as food and water. According to the UN, more than 1.9 million people have been displaced in Gaza. International humanitarian law, notably the Geneva Convention, holds that refusing civilians access to aid can amount to a war crime.
The appeal comes a day after a statement from the European Union, which voiced 'serious concern' over the crisis and called for all crossing points to be reopened. It follows a joint declaration by 18 countries on restrictions targeting humanitarian aid.
