Caritas Internationalis has issued a statement on the famine in Gaza and attacks on Gaza City, saying it represents “a collapse of moral order, a failure of leadership, responsibility and humanity itself”. Source: The Southern Cross.
It comes as Caritas Australia urges Australians to sign a pledge calling on the Albanese Government and the international community to act urgently to prevent a catastrophic drop in humanitarian aid to Gaza. Signatures are being accepted until Sunday night.
The United Nations declared that Gaza was in famine on August 22, two days after Israeli forces stormed Gaza City, where nearly one million displaced civilians had sought refuge, many already starving.
“The declaration was not a warning, but a grim confirmation of what humanitarian organisations have been saying for months: Gazans have long endured a deliberate descent into starvation,” Caritas Internationalis said in the statement.
“This is not a tragic accident. It is the result of calculated choices. A population stripped of shelter, sustenance, and safety has been left to perish in full view of the world.
“This is not war. It is the systematic destruction of civilian life. The siege of Gaza has become a machinery of annihilation, sustained by impunity and the silence, or complicity, of powerful nations.
“Famine here is not a natural disaster, but the outcome of a deliberate strategy: blocking aid, bombing food convoys, destroying infrastructure, and denying basic needs.”
Caritas Internationalis said the Gaza famine “is a test of moral integrity, and too many have failed”.
“To starve a population is to desecrate life. To remain silent is to be complicit,” the charity said.
“Caritas Internationalis calls on all people of faith and conscience to raise their voices, pressure their governments, and demand justice. The world is watching. History is recording. And Gaza is waiting, not for words, but for salvation.”
FULL STORY
Caritas statement condemns man-made famine and assault on Gaza City (The Southern Cross)
Caritas Internationalis Statement on the Man Made Famine and Assault on Gaza City (Caritas Australia)
