Press Release 12 October 2023
DanChurchAid urges the Danish government and the international community at large to push for the swift establishment of a humanitarian corridor to Gaza, allowing food, water, electricity, and medicine to reach the civilian population.
Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen, Secretary General of DanChurchAid, says:
“There is an urgent need to open a humanitarian corridor to Gaza. More than 300,000 people have lost their homes or have been displaced, and the number is constantly rising. The humanitarian crisis is worsening by the hour, and it will only escalate if a humanitarian corridor is not quickly established. The Danish government and the international community must work towards international action to enable the UN and civil society organizations to provide the necessary aid to the civilian population in Gaza.
Gaza is running out of drinking water and food very soon due to the rapid pace of bombardments. The current blockade prevents the civilian population from accessing clean drinking water or putting food on the table.
The humanitarian crisis is worsening by the hour, and it will only escalate if a humanitarian corridor is not quickly established.Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen – Secretary General, DanChurchAid
In addition to the shortage of food, the people of Gaza are losing access to electricity as Gaza’s only power plant will run out of fuel within the next few hours. The lack of power will have dire consequences for hospitals, which need light and electricity for machines to treat wounded civilians. In practical terms, the power shortage will make it impossible to store the limited remaining food. It will also make it impossible to charge phones, cutting off families across Gaza from being in contact with each other.
DanChurchAid’s employees in Jerusalem and Gaza are in close contact with local partners to explore possibilities for helping the civilian population. One of DanChurchAid’s partners has stockpiled hygiene items, blankets, mattresses, and other essentials to distribute to displaced families and is investigating what can be purchased in local markets.
The ongoing heavy bombardments create an extremely challenging security situation. The mobile network is unstable, electricity is limited, and it is associated with significant risk to move outside.”