End Gaza blockade, World YWCA tells UN member states
Geneva, November 25, 2008 : As the world prepares to celebrate 60 years of the Human Rights Declaration, the undeniable rights of Palestinians continue to be violated. For nearly a year now, the Gaza strip has been under siege and earlier this month Israel tightened the blockade in response to renewed rocket attacks out of Gaza.
Occasional opening of the boarder crossing into Gaza have had little impact on the growing humanitarian crisis caused by the siege. On November 24, the World YWCA expressed grave concern for women and children in Gaza in a statement presented on behalf of the Geneva NGOs Middle East Working Group with Focus on Palestine to the United Nations at a special meeting in commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
“The serious nature of the daily human rights violations that arise as a result of the siege in Gaza has tremendous impact particularly on women and children,” Hélène Yinda, World YWCA Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East told delegates at the meeting. Reading from the statement, Yinda expressed the groups concern, “The situation worsens from day to day and if nothing is done to stop it, it will lead to the total breakdown of public institutions that will severely undermine national capacity and the Palestinian economy.”
In a special message delivered to delegates at the meeting, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed regret that peace negations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders have slowed down and called on Israel to “cease settlement activities” among other activities that increase insecurity in the region.
Earlier this month, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay called the situation in Gaza a “direct contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law.” The Commissioner noted, “By function of this blockade, 1.5 million Palestinian men, women and children have been forcibly deprived of their most basic human rights for months.”
Her concerns were reiterated by Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and founder of Realizing Rights, who also visited Gaza strip in November to meet with a range of women and human rights organisations in the region. "I am deeply saddened to see that the oppression and injustice suffered by Palestinians is worsening,” Robinson said, “Women, who are effectively excluded from decision-making, are bearing the greatest burden of both the Israeli occupation and the political divisions within the occupied Palestinian territory."
The World YWCA and signatories to the statement called for the United Nations to ensure that women’s voices, perspectives and needs are integrated in peace negotiations in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, war and peace. The statement concluded that the UN must take urgent, firm and practical measures to end the crisis situation in the Gaza Strip and to contribute to alleviating the humanitarian crisis.
Related links:
- Read full statement PDF (13 kb)
- Keep Hope Alive on Journey for Justice
- United Nations Human Rights Council: World YWCA focuses on women and peace in the Middle East
- Israeli Occupation in Palestine and its Impact on Women and Children
- My checkpoint experience My checkpoint experience
- Israeli restriction put women and children in Gaza at risk Israeli restriction put women and children in Gaza at risk
- Call to End Israeli Siege Over Gaza Call to End Israeli Siege Over Gaza
