A delegation from Caritas Australia has presented a petition signed by 1376 members of the Australian Catholic community to the Albanese Government, calling for urgent action to protect and improve humanitarian access to Gaza.
The petition was delivered to MP Susan Templeman on behalf of International Development Minister Anne Aly. It was handed over on Thursday in Mural Hall at Parliament House, accompanied by information on the grave risks posed by Israel’s new NGO registration scheme.
The “Pledge for Life-Saving Aid to Gaza” petition drew support from community groups, Catholic parishes and peace advocates across the country.
It urges the federal Government to act swiftly to prevent a catastrophic drop in humanitarian aid to Gaza, where famine conditions are escalating and children are dying from lack of food, clean water, and medical supplies.
The new registration scheme, set to take effect from tomorrow, poses the threat of deregistering international NGOs operating in Gaza, placing further barriers on life-saving assistance.
The scheme requires intrusive personal details of humanitarian workers and bans organisations whose staff have spoken out about human rights violations.
“The starvation crisis in Gaza requires moral leadership from each and every one of us,” Caritas Australia chief executive Kirsten Sayers said.
“In turn, Australians from all walks of life are raising their voices for peace, dignity, and humanitarian access. We cannot stand by while aid is blocked and lives are lost. We must protect the innocent. The human suffering must stop.”
The petition follows a joint letter sent on May 16 by 11 major Australian humanitarian organisations – including Caritas Australia, Save the Children, Plan International Australia, Islamic Relief, and CARE Australia – calling for the same action.
Caritas Australia, backed by the Australian Catholic community and the wider aid and development sector, is urging Ms Aly to take the concerns to international forums and to publicly call on the Israeli Government to halt the implementation of the new registration process.
To support Caritas Australia’s Gaza Crisis Appeal, visit www.caritas.org.au/gaza.
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Caritas Australia delivers pledge for life saving aid to Minister Anne Aly (Caritas Australia)
