Urgent Action Needed Amid Serious Israeli Escalation in Gaza: WEFAQ Evacuates and MAAN Community Centre Faces Siege
Our partner organisation, WEFAQ, has been forced to evacuate and dismantle their operations, including an IDP shelter for their own staff and families, warehouse for food distribution to displaced people and offices, relocating to Western Khan Younis. This evacuation and escalation critically impacts their ability to deliver essential services to those in need.
In a severe escalation, the MAAN community centre, a vital resource for internally displaced persons (IDPs), is currently under siege by tanks in Deir Al Balah. This centre has been crucial in providing support and information to displaced families, and its compromised status severely hinders aid efforts. Forcible evacuations can be deemed a war crime if they are carried out without regard for the safety and well-being of the evacuated persons, or if they are part of a broader pattern of behaviour intended to cause harm to civilians or undermine their rights.
Under IHL, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, parties to a conflict are prohibited from forcibly transferring or evacuating civilians from occupied territories unless it is for their safety and temporary in nature. Such evacuations should not result in the displacement of civilians to areas where they are at risk or deprived of basic necessities.
ActionAid demands an immediate ceasefire, an end to the blockade on Gaza, and the full protection of all humanitarian personnel. We call for unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip to fully support our colleagues in their critical work. The international community must hold the Israeli government accountable for its actions and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those suffering without delay.
The already starving, diseased, and beleaguered population faces an even greater humanitarian crisis. Immediate and decisive action is essential to address the escalating emergency and prevent further suffering.
Contact the ActionAid press office on uk.media@actionaid.org or on 07753 973 486.
