Immediate Action to End Gaza’s Blockade and Starvation Crisis  

We demand the immediate opening of all border crossings into Gaza to allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, including food, water, medical supplies, and other essentials.

The ongoing blockade, tightened since March 2, 2025, has plunged Gaza into a man-made famine, endangering 2.1 million Palestinians, half of whom are children. Reports from UNRWA, the United Nations, Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the Lemkin Institute confirm this crisis as a violation of international humanitarian law, constituting collective punishment and potentially genocidal acts.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reports that 470,000 people—22% of Gaza’s population—are in catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5), with projections of 1.3 million facing famine-like conditions by March 2026. Over 50 children have died of starvation since March 2025, with 71,000 children under five and 17,000 pregnant or breastfeeding mothers at risk of acute malnutrition. UNRWA notes that 90% of Gaza’s children face food poverty, with families surviving on one meal a day or none. Food prices have surged over 4,000%, and clean water is so scarce that some resort to drinking seawater.

The blockade has halted over 6,000 UNRWA aid trucks carrying 116,000 metric tonnes of food—sufficient to feed Gaza’s population for months. The replacement of UN-led aid systems with the militarized Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has led to chaos, with over 500 civilians killed and 4,000 injured at aid distribution sites. MSF reports that hospitals are overwhelmed, with only 500 of 14,100 projected child malnutrition cases treatable due to shortages of medical supplies, blood, and fuel.

The deliberate obstruction of aid violates the Geneva Conventions, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders demanding unhindered humanitarian access. Amnesty International and the Lemkin Institute have condemned the blockade as a war crime and an act of genocide, with starvation weaponized against civilians. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child highlights the lethal impact on children, noting 930,000 at critical famine risk due to forced water deprivation. The ban on UNRWA’s operations and restrictions on international media further obscure the crisis and hinder accountability.

Urgent Needs and Demands :

Gaza’s population faces a desperate choice: starve or risk death to access limited aid. We demand: 

1. Open All Border Crossings: Lift the blockade to allow 600 aid trucks daily, as estimated by the UN, to deliver food, water, medical supplies, and hygiene items.
2. Reinstate UN-Led Aid Systems: Dismantle the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and restore UNRWA and other UN-led mechanisms for safe, impartial aid distribution.
3. Ensure Safe Access: Cease military actions near aid convoys and distribution sites to protect civilians and aid workers.
4. Enforce International Law: Uphold ICJ orders and UN resolutions, holding perpetrators accountable for starvation as a weapon of war.
5. Support a Ceasefire: Demand an immediate ceasefire to halt violence, release hostages and arbitrarily detained prisoners, and enable large-scale humanitarian response.
6. Lift Media Bans: Allow international journalists into Gaza for transparent reporting.  

Call to Action

 
The crisis in Gaza is a stain on humanity, as echoed by activists and organizations worldwide. The Lemkin Institute urges immediate action to deliver food and water, while MSF warns of a collapsing healthcare system. UN reports confirm that aid sits just kilometers away, yet children like nine-month-old Ahlam die of hunger. We call for a Diplomatic Humanitarian Convoy, as proposed by Palestinian civil society, to break the siege and deliver aid at scale. The UN must declare Gaza a famine zone and fully fund UNRWA’s operations.

We stand in solidarity with Gaza’s people, demanding their right to life, dignity, and survival. We call on politicians to act, lawyers to pursue justice, doctors to support medical relief, journalists to amplify the truth, and civil society to mobilize. Sign this petition to demand the immediate opening of Gaza’s borders, the delivery of life-saving aid, and an end to the starvation crisis.

Please Sign the Petition

Sources:  
- UNRWA: Reports on blocked aid trucks and starvation deaths (unrwa.org).  
- United Nations (OCHA, OHCHR, WHO): Data on famine risks, child malnutrition, and healthcare collapse (ochaopt.org, who.int).  
- Amnesty International: Condemns blockade as a war crime and collective punishment (amnesty.org).  
- Lemkin Institute: Labels starvation a genocidal act, calls for urgent aid (lemkininstitute.com).  
- MSF: Highlights insufficient aid and hospital crises (msf.org).  
- IPC: Reports 470,000 in catastrophic hunger (ipcinfo.org).  

End the blockade. Save Gaza. Deliver aid now.