News & Media

#CeasefireNow: Open Call for an Immediate Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Israel to Prevent a Humanitarian Catastrophe and Further Loss of Innocent Lives

We have witnessed unfathomable death and destruction in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Thousands of people have been killed, injured, displaced, and nearly two hundred remain held hostage, including children and elderly.

In Gaza, the UN has said that water, food, fuel, medical supplies, and even body bags, are running out due to the siege. The UN warned that people – particularly young children – will soon start dying of severe dehydration. Neighbourhoods have been destroyed and turned into complete rubble. Palestinians in search of safety have nowhere to go. Many of those who relocated from northern Gaza to the south after the relocation order by the Israeli army were reportedly bombed as they attempted to flee or once they arrived in southern Gaza.

The events of the last week have led us to the precipice of a humanitarian catastrophe and the world can no longer wait to act. It is our collective responsibility.

On Sunday, October 15th, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator to the Occupied Palestinian Territory appealed to all parties to the conflict, and to Member States with influence, to urgently agree to a humanitarian ceasefire.

Today, we put our voices together and call on all Heads of State, the UN Security Council, and actors on the ground, to prioritise the preservation of human life above all else. During this ceasefire, we call on all parties to unconditionally:

1. Facilitate the delivery of lifesaving assistance, including food, medical supplies, fuel, and the resumption of electricity and internet to Gaza, in addition to safe passage of humanitarian and medical staff
2. Free all civilian hostages, especially children and elderly
3. Allow humanitarian convoys to reach UN facilities, schools, hospitals, and health facilities in northern Gaza and commit to protecting them along with the civilians and staff inside them at all times
4. Rescind orders by the Government of Israel for civilians to depart northern Gaza
5. Allow patients in critical condition to be medically evacuated for urgent care

The UN Security Council, the UN Secretary General and all world leaders with influence must take immediate action to ensure a ceasefire comes into effect. It remains our only option to avert further loss of civilian life and humanitarian catastrophe. Anything less will forever be a stain on our collective conscience.

Civilians are not bargaining chips. Families need a chance to bury and mourn their dead. The cycle of violence against innocent civilians needs to stop.

Signatories

11.11.11

38 Degrees

50:50 NI

ABCD Bethlehem

Abductees Mothers Association

ACTION AGAINST HUNGER

Action Corps

Action For Humanity

ActionAid International

Africans Rising

Afro-Middle East Centre

Agriculture Developmrnt Associations PARC

Al Basma Club for the Disabled

Alliance Internationale -AIDL

Alquds center for Political Studies

Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)

Americares

Amos Trust

Anera

Arab foundation for civil society and human rights

Arab NGO Network for Development

Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz

Asociación Otra Escuela

Association of War Affected Women

Avaaz

Baptist Union of Wales

Belgian Academics and Artists for Palestine

bina

Bond, the UK network for INGOs

Broederlijk Delen

Bytes For All, Pakistan

Caesar Families Association

CAFOD

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)

Carolina Peace Center

Care International

CCFD-Terre Solidaire

Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights

Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)

Center for Human Rights in Iran

Center for Peace Education, Miriam College

Centre for human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED)

Centre for Peace Research and Advocacy -CPRA

CESVI

cfd – The feminist Peace Organisation

Change Horizons Forum

ChildFund Alliance

Christian Aid

Christian Aid Ireland

Church World Service

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)

CIDSE

CISP

CISS – COOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE SUD SUD

CIVICUS

CNCD-11.11.11

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Asia Pacific

COPE Cooperazione Paesi Emergenti

COSPE

Council for Arab-British Understanding

Council on American-Islamic Relations

CRIC – Centro Regionale d’Intervento per la Cooperazione ETS

Culturel Center Beethoven Bettounssi

DanChurchAid

Daraj Media

DC Peace Team

Defense Foundation for Rights and Freedom

Denis Hurley Peace Institute

Diakonia

Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality

EL SPACE

Embrace the Middle East

Entraide & Fraternité

Episcopal Relief & Development

Escola de Cultura de Pau (School for a Culture of Peace)

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor

European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (ECR2P)

Fédération Internationale pour les droits humains (FIDH)

Feminist Task Force

Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI)

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Friends of Nablus and Surrounding areas (FONSA)

Fundación Cultura de Paz

FUNDACIÓN MUNDUBAT

Futuro en Común

Gandhi Development Trust Phoenix Settlement Trust

Gender Action for Peace and Security

Gender Advisory Team

Genera: Red de mujeres feministas por la equidad de género en el desarrollo

Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

Global Communities

Global Justice Center

Global Justice Now

Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP)

Global Rights

GPPAC Pacific-Pacific Women Mediators Network

Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion

Haliéus

Health Poverty Action

HEKS/EPER – Swiss Church Aid

Helen Suzman Foundation

HelpAge International

HIAS

Human Rights & Democracy Media Center ‎‏“‏SHAMS‏”‏

Human Rights Sentinel

ICNA

ICNA Council for Social Justice

ICNA Council for Social Justice (ICNA CSJ)

IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation

IM Swedish Development Partner

Ina autra senda – Swiss Friends of Combatants for Peace

Institute for Security Studies

International Federation for Human Rights

INTERSOS

Islamic Center of Detroit

Islamic Relief

Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions UK- UK

Jewish Network for Palestine

Jewish Voice for Democracy and Justice in Israel/Palestine jvjp, Switzerland

Jusoor Center for Studies and Development

Kairos Palestine

Kairos Palestine Sweden

Kenya Human Rights Commission

KURVE Wustrow – Centre for Training and Networking in Nonviolent Action e.V.

La Coordinadora de ONGD -España

Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights

Liberian Energy Network

Ligue Algérienne de Défense des Droits de l’Homme – LADDH

Lutheran World Federation

MADRE

Marib Girls Foundation

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

MDM Network

Médecins Du Monde – Spain

Médecins Du Monde – Switzerland

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)

medico international

medico international schweiz

Mennonite Central Committee U.S.

Mercy Corps

Mercy-USA for Aid and Development

Middle East and North Africa Partnership for Preventing of Armed Conflict – MENAPPAC

Middle East Children’s Alliance

Migrant Roots Media

Min Haqi Foundation to empower women politically and economically

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Justice and Peace Centre (Australian Province)

Mouvement Social

Musaala Organization for Human Rights

Muslim Aid

Muslim Legal Fund of America

Mwatana for Human Rights

Naseef Muallem

National Cancer Control Foundatin – Yemen

Network of the independent Commission for Human rights in North Africa CIDH AFRICA

NGO SPES

NGOs Platform of Saida – Tajamoh

Nobel Women’s Initiative

Nonviolence Network in the Arab Countries

Nonviolent Peaceforce

Nophotozone

North American Imams Fellow

Norwegian Refugee Council

Oxfam

Palestinian Human Rights Organisation “PHRO”

PAX

Pax Christi Australia

Pax Christi USA

Peace Direct

Peace Organization for Peaceful Coexistence

Permanent Peace Movement

Piattaforma OSC italiane in Medio Oriente e Mediterraneo

Plateforme des ONG françaises pour la Palestine

Première Urgence Internationale

Project on Middle East Democracy

Protection Approaches

PVE for Peace

Rebuilding Alliance

ReThinking Foreign Policy

Revista La Mar de Onuba

Right to Movement Palestine

Romanian Peace Institute – PATRIR

Roshanka

Sabeel

Sabeel Kairos Norway

Sabeel-Kairos UK

Save the Children

SALAM NGO

SAM Organization for Rights and Libertie

Sanad alBasra Organization for Human Rights

Save the Children

SB Overseas Soutien Belge

Secours Islamique France (SIF)

SEEN.TV

Seenaryo

Sheba Youth Foundation

Shining Star educational organization of Afghanistan

Social Development Hodeida Girls Foundation

Solutions for a Small Planet

SOS Children’s Villages Palestine

Study sky academy

SUDS – International association of solidarity and cooperation

Syrian American Medical Society

Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR).

Syrians for Truth and Justice

Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights

Tanzania Community Health Information and Support

Terre des Hommes Italia

Terre des hommes Foundation Lausanne

The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation

The Episcopal Church

The Foundation for Middle East Peace

The Khalifa Ihler Institute

The Mosque Cares | Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed

The Palestinian Return Centre

UJFP ACAT

UK-Palestine Mental Health Network

United Against Inhumanity

United Nations Association – UK

University Network for Human Rights

UOSSM International

US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO)

Vento di Terra

Viva Salud

Vrede vzw

War Child Sweden

War Child Holland

War Child UK

War on Want

Welfare Association (UK)

WESPAC Foundation, Inc.

WeWorld

WeWorld – Member of ChildFund Alliance

Womankind Worldwide

Women for Peace

Women for Women International

Women in Black Vienna

Women Political Alliance – Kenya

Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC)

Women’s Institute for Leadership Development

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom UK

Women’s International Peace Centre

Womens Refugee Commission

Worldwide Women’s Forum

Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation

Youth Vision Society

Youths Volunteering for Sustainable Development (YOVSUD)

Food, water, power all nearing exhaustion; Oxfam partners begin small distribution but scale of need and logistical chaos pose massive challenges to humanitarian response
 
Gaza is facing an unprecedented health crisis that risks an outbreak of deadly infectious diseases, like cholera, because water and sanitation services have completely broken down, says Oxfam.

All five of Gaza’s wastewater treatment plants and most of its 65 sewage pumping stations have been forced to close. Untreated sewage is now being discharged into the sea and, in some areas, solid waste is accumulating in the streets.

Clean water has now virtually run out. Some people are being forced to drink from farm wells. The UN Water and Sanitation cluster, of which Oxfam is a member, says that only three litres of water a day are now available per person in Gaza. The World Health Organisation recommends one person needs between 50-100 litres of water each day to meet basic health requirements.

Private vendors who run small water desalination or purification plants are now the biggest water suppliers. Oxfam staff say that the cost to buy water has increased five-fold.

Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International Interim Executive Director, said: “There is no power, no food and now no water in Gaza. It risks becoming a breeding ground for cholera and other diseases. The situation for civilians is already intolerable. Our staff are telling us that in some cases, there are up to 70 people crammed into a single room. Humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza now.”

Despite the incredible difficulties, two local civil society organisations in Gaza have put together a plan to help people now crammed into shelters with hygiene kits and cash for food from one of the few supermarkets still open.

Oxfam is sending funds which they will spend on kits containing soaps, shampoo, sanitary pads and toothpaste, and cash for food for 800 households. Given households are now vastly inflated with extended family and squeezed into temporary shelters, including mosques and schools and hospitals, the aid will reach many times more that number.

A spokesperson from one of Oxfam’s partners, Palestine Medical Relief Society, talked to Oxfam today. Without wishing to be identified, she said:

“We’ve reached a point where midwives are having to assist in delivering babies over the phone, as there’s no security even in childbirth. Our plan is to deliver aid as soon as roads open up, we are just waiting for any sign to provide people in Gaza. We’re in constant contact with those on the ground, awaiting any chance to help.

“Aid in this situation is desperately needed, people are not just being killed in the attacks but also from diseases caused from unsanitary conditions, lack of food and the unhealthy conditions for both men, women and even children. Gazans are being forced to use unclean water, struggle to get enough food to feed themselves, and deal with severe shortages of essential medical supplies.

“Gaza once again far from safety, with not a single respite from the attack. People are dying each and every day, and living conditions have fallen to an all-time low. Despite these dreadful circumstances, there remains a ray of hope and determination to provide relief to the people of Gaza. PMRS is working on a plan to be prepared to act as soon as the routes open due to the huge number of phone calls received seeking for help in the most essential needs.’’

Behar said “The commitment of our partners to help is inspiring. But no meaningful humanitarian response can happen without a stop to the violence. There must be a ceasefire now, and the immediate, unconditional release of everyone held captive by armed groups in Gaza, and the border crossings opened for aid.”

1.8 million people in Gaza are now food insecure, with the power shutdown hampering people’s ability to cook meals and for bakeries to produce bread. Refrigerators cannot work. The UN’s World Food Program has had to reduce its assistance by 60 per cent. All fishing activity and farming has stopped.

Oxfam is urgently calling safe access for humanitarian aid into Gaza and for distribution of it to be well coordinated and delivered first to those most in need.

“The chaotic nature of where displaced people are now, and the logistical and political challenges in allowing aid through the borders, gives us grave concern for their future,” he said. “This wait-and-see situation becomes a life-or-death situation,” Behar said.

“Civilians must not be targeted by any side – we need a ceasefire. The international community must address the root causes of the ongoing conflict, that being the occupation and blockade,” he said.

/ENDS

Notes to editor:

• Even before last weekend, the UN and humanitarian partners estimated that 2.1 million Palestinians across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) – including 80 per cent of the population in Gaza – depended on humanitarian assistance.  

• Oxfam has been working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel since the 1950s and established a country office in the 1980s. We work with the most vulnerable communities in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and Area C, the 61 per cent of the West Bank where the government of Israel maintains full military and civil control.  

• In Gaza, Oxfam works with partner organisations to help Palestinian women, men, and youth to improve their livelihoods and increase economic opportunities, combat gender-based violence and inequality and ensure access to basic needs and fundamental rights through our humanitarian work.  

Contact: Ben Ryder +64 22 310 2765 / ben.ryder@oxfam.org.nz

Letter from the Chief Executive Officers of Oxfam and 11 humanitarian agencies

We are alarmed by Israel’s call for over a million Palestinians to leave northern Gaza in less than 24 hours. Israel must rescind this order immediately. Demands for the population in its entirety to relocate in such an immediate manner put at risk the lives of those forced to flee. The Government of Israel has not provided any assurances for their safety while in transit or for the safety of civilians remaining in the Gaza Strip as fighting continues.

Humanitarian agencies operating in Gaza are reporting an unfolding humanitarian crisis on an unprecedented scale. There are not adequate facilities to safely accommodate residents from northern Gaza, and their safety remains jeopardized as Israeli airstrikes persistently target central and southern Gaza.

A forced relocation without any guarantees of safety or return and without providing for the needs of the protected population, risks amounting to forcible transfer, which is a grave breach of international humanitarian law and codified as a war crime. Israel is bound by international law to ensure the protection of all persons there from harm and ensure that they are adequately supplied, including by agreeing and facilitating, relief schemes.

The horrendous violence that has engulfed Gaza and Israel over the last week has already created unprecedented humanitarian need. As of 13 October 2023, 11:00 AM EST, more than 1799 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, more than 1,300 people in Israel, including foreign nationals, and 45 Palestinians in the West Bank. Hundreds of children have been killed. Hundreds of thousands of children and families in Gaza have already been displaced. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed and turned to rubble.

Yet recent developments indicate that the worst may still be to come. We, the undersigned leaders of some of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations call for the international community to unequivocally uphold international law and prioritize the protection of civilians to avert further suffering and loss of human life.

World leaders must:

• Demand that the Government of Israel immediately rescind its order;
• Demand that all parties agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities;
• Demand to stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in addition to the targeting of civilians, of inviolable UN premises, schools and hospitals where civilians shelter;
• Facilitate the provision of essential and life-saving relief assistance, including food, water, and medical supplies and care and access of humanitarian personnel into Gaza;
• Immediately facilitate medical evacuations for children and families who require it in either Egypt, the West Bank or Israel;
• Ensure the immediate, unconditional release of all persons deprived of liberty, most urgently children, pregnant women and mothers with infants and young children, the wounded and sick held captive by armed groups in Gaza; and
• Guarantee safe passage for families who need and want to seek safety to any place they feel safe. Families need adequate access to information on options and to be given adequate time to do so safely. The Israeli government has an obligation under international humanitarian law to provide safe shelter and humanitarian assistance for civilians displaced by their offensive and this should be carefully prepared in advance of any offensive. Anyone who seeks safety outside of the Gaza Strip must be immediately allowed to return as soon as hostilities end, in line with their right to repatriate or return to their habitual places or residence. This must be internationally guaranteed.

Families who are unable or unwilling to leave their homes remain protected under international humanitarian law. There are many reasons why people cannot heed these warnings to leave areas, including ongoing hostilities, impassable roads, health needs, disabilities, and fear of permanent displacement. Many will have nowhere else to go.

We urge UN Secretary-General António Guterres and senior UN leadership to make an emergency visit to the oPt and Israel in an attempt to ensure respect for international law and demonstrate solidarity with affected persons and humanitarians.

We plead with world leaders and actors on the ground to prioritize the preservation of human life above all else. Anything less will forever be a stain on our collective conscience.

Signatories: Chief Executive Officers of:

Oxfam
Action Against Hunger – Spain
Diakonia
Handicap International/Humanity and Inclusion
Médecins du Monde – France
Médecins du Monde- Spain
Médecins du Monde- Swiss
Mercy Corps
Norwegian Refugee Council
Plan International
Save the Children
War Child UK

For interviews, contact Ben Ryder +64 22 310 2765 / ben.ryder@oxfam.org.nz

After 17 years and raising more than $16 million to fund lifesaving work around the world,
Oxfam Aotearoa will be celebrating the final Trailwalker event in New Plymouth next March.

Since 2006, over 20,000 New Zealanders have taken part in this incredible endurance team
event walking 50 or 100 kilometers through stunning Aotearoa terrain and raising vital funds
to help eliminate poverty.

While huge efforts have been made to adapt Trailwalker to changing conditions, including a
virtual event in 2022, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Executive Director Jason Myers said a variety of
external factors have led to hosting the final Oxfam Trailwalker on 23-24 March 2024.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that we will deliver our last Oxfam Trailwalker
in 2024. I know that many of you will share in the sadness with us. The difficult reality is that
recent years have been incredibly hard for the events sector in Aotearoa. Sadly, Trailwalker
has not been spared,” he said.

“Rising operational costs coupled with cost-of-living pressures made fundraising more
difficult and meant that the viability of the event had to be questioned. Ultimately, the
unpredictability of how much the event can raise is no longer a risk that the organisation can
carry.

“To those incredible past participants, staff members and volunteers, who really put their
heart and soul into making this a significant part of Oxfam Aotearoa’s lifeblood for
fundraising, we will ensure that we do our 17th and final event proud. In this, we will honour
those who will be joining us on Event weekend, as well as all those that came before them.”

For those who have always wanted to take on the challenge, or for those wanting to walk the
trail one last time, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Fundraising Director Ange Janse van Rensburg is
encouraging people to sign up, as registrations are now open for the once-in-a-lifetime, epic
adventure.

“This is an opportunity to be a part of Oxfam Aotearoa’s history by participating in our very
last Trailwalker event next March. Having participated in the 100km walk twice myself, I can
say it is an incredible challenge and one of the best things I have ever done.

“I would encourage anyone who has ever thought about doing it to register now!”

/ENDS

Notes to editors: Participants can register by visiting https://www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.nz/

For more information or to arrange interviews please contact:

Ben Ryder, Oxfam Aotearoa

ben.ryder@oxfam.org.nz

+64 22 310 2765

In reaction to military offensives in Israel and the Gaza Strip over the weekend, Mustafa Tmaizi, Oxfam Acting Country Director in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, said:

“Oxfam strongly urges all parties to immediately cease all military offensives and maintain restraint to prevent further escalation of violence that will only harm innocent civilians on both sides. This surge in military escalation underscores the persistent failure of leaders to address the prolonged occupation and Gaza blockade with no meaningful measures taken.

Oxfam is closely monitoring the humanitarian situation alongside our local partners and international organisations. We are also currently assessing the safety and well-being of civilians, Oxfam personnel and partners, especially in areas lacking adequate shelters and protection.”

For media inquiries and further information, please contact:

Ben Ryder, Media and Communications Coordinator, Oxfam Aotearoa

ben.ryder@oxfam.org.nz