Plan International Australia responds to Rafah invasion

Susanne Legena, CEO of Plan International Australia, said:

“A military invasion of Rafah, as announced by Israel this week, can only be a humanitarian catastrophe, leading to horrific loss of life.

We are appalled by the unlawful forced evacuation orders for Palestinian civilians and the closure of the Rafah border crossing. Humanitarian aid and fuel have now been completely blocked from entering through this crucial aid corridor since Sunday May 5. This is unacceptable  and will lead to even more suffering.

Up to 1.5 million people – more than half of Gaza’s population – are sheltering in desperate, overcrowded conditions in Rafah, with starvation and disease now rife. There is no safe place for them to go.

Children and their families have already faced untold horrors as a result of Israel’s ongoing military assault and restrictions on aid. Every day, more and more children are killed by bombardments, starvation, and disease. This must end now, with an immediate ceasefire.

It is vital that humanitarian organisations working in Gaza have unhindered access to deliver life-saving aid.

We are calling on the Australian Government to urgently put Israel’s Rafah military operation on top of its political agenda. They must halt all arms transfers to Israel immediately, and allocate monumental diplomatic pressure to deter the Government of Israel from moving forward with its invasion immediately. The Australian Government, and all Third States, must also use all bilateral tools at their disposal to directly pressure parties to the conflict into a sustained, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire. Without this, more Palestinian children and their families will continue to die.”