Dear Friend,
Earlier today the White House announced that Israel agreed to a daily four-hour pause in fighting. This offers precious little relief to the two million people in Gaza who are displaced, injured, and traumatized, who have faced a month of relentless bombardment, and who have seen critical infrastructure across Gaza all but destroyed.
With over half of Gaza’s hospitals closing due to fuel shortages or shelling, there will soon be nowhere to deliver medical supplies. A humanitarian pause, without the inclusion of fuel in aid packages, does nothing to repair Gaza’s destroyed health system, to allow families to cook a meal for themselves, or to power water to their homes to shower. While this might offer a brief respite for a few days, it is nowhere near enough to repair the damage to Gazan communities and their lives.
Over 10,000 people have been killed in one month alone, with more than 4,000 children tragically making up this gruesome number. That is one child every 10 minutes and more than 100 children each day.
Only a permanent ceasefire can put an end to hostilities and help those whose lives are hanging by a thread. Until that happens, ActionAid and our partners remain committed to providing critical support to the people of Gaza.
