Media release | Saturday, 23 March 2024
The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Australia's peak body for development and humanitarian organisations, welcomes the resolution voted upon by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) today as a long-overdue shift in position on the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.
ACFID's Chief Executive Officer Marc Purcell said:
"ACFID is disappointed that this resolution was not supported by members of the Security Council. While not perfect, it would have driven stronger consensus on Gaza amongst member states.
"ACFID welcomes the long-overdue shift in position from the United States, though we remain disappointed that this shift has taken over six months and still does not go far enough. Urgent action is needed to secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and unconditional humanitarian access.
"Aid drops and the promise of a makeshift port fall a long way short of what is required to meet the scale of need in Gaza."
Close to 32,000 people have now died in Gaza since October 7, thousands more are injured or missing, and more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people are estimated to be facing catastrophic levels of food deprivation and starvation. The World Health Organization has recorded over 400 attacks on healthcare facilities.
ACFID calls on the Australian Government to commit further ongoing funding for the humanitarian response in Gaza, the West Bank and the region, including to Australian NGOs providing crucial and lifesaving assistance.
ACFID continues to call for the Australian Government to publicly advocate for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to prevent further loss of life in Gaza.
