Latest news with #IRC
Japan Times
4 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Trump vowed to remake aid. Is Gaza the future?
U.S. President Donald Trump has slashed American aid and vowed a major rethink on helping the world. A controversial effort to bring food to the Gaza Strip may offer clues on what's to come. Administered by contracted U.S. security with Israeli troops at the perimeter, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is distributing food through several hubs in the war-ravaged territory. An officially private effort with opaque funding, the GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for over two months, sparking warnings of mass famine. The organization said it had distributed 2.1 million meals as of Friday. The initiative excludes the United Nations, which has long coordinated aid distribution in the war-ravaged territory and has infrastructure and systems in place to deliver assistance on a large scale. The U.N. and other major aid groups have refused to cooperate with GHF, saying it violates basic humanitarian principles, and appears crafted to cater to Israeli military objectives. "What we have seen is chaotic, it's tragic and it's resulted in hundreds of thousands of people scrambling in an incredibly undignified and unsafe way to access a tiny trickle of aid," said Ciaran Donnelly, senior vice president of international programs at the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said his aid group stopped work in Gaza in 2015 when Hamas militants invaded its office and that it refused to cooperate in Syria when former strongman Bashar Assad was pressuring opposition-held areas by withholding food. "Why on earth would we be willing to let the Israeli military decide how, where and to whom we give our aid as part of their military strategy to herd people around Gaza?" said Egeland. "It's a violation of everything we stand for. It is the biggest and reddest line there is that we cannot cross." Sidelining the U.N. The U.N. said that 47 people were injured Tuesday when hungry and desperate crowds rushed a GHF site — most of them by Israeli gunfire — while a Palestinian medical source said at least one person had died. The Israeli military denied its soldiers fired on civilians and the GHF denied any injuries or deaths. Israel has relentlessly attacked Gaza since Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel has vowed to sideline the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, accusing it of bias and of harboring Hamas militants. UNRWA said that nine out of thousands of staff may have been involved in the Oct. 7 attack and dismissed them, but accuses Israel of trying to throw a distraction. John Hannah, a former senior U.S. policymaker who led a study last year that gave birth to the concepts behind the GHF, said the U.N. seemed to be "completely lacking in self-reflection" on the need for a new approach to aid after Hamas built a "terror kingdom." "I fear that people could be on the brink of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good instead of figuring out how do we take part in this effort, improve it, make it better, scale it up," said Hannah, who is not involved in implementing the GHF. Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, defended the use of private contractors, saying that many had extensive Middle East experience from the U.S.-led "war on terror." "We would have been happy if there were volunteers from (other) capable and trusted national forces ... but the fact is, nobody's volunteering," he said. He said he would rather that aid workers coordinate with Israel than Hamas. "Inevitably, any humanitarian effort in a war zone has to make some compromises with a ruling authority that carries the guns," he said. Legitimacy issue Hannah's study had discouraged a major Israeli role in humanitarian work in Gaza, urging instead involvement by Arab states to bring greater legitimacy. Arab states have balked at supporting U.S. efforts as Israel pounds Gaza and after Trump mused about forcibly displacing the whole Gaza population and constructing luxury hotels. Israel and Hamas are negotiating a new Gaza ceasefire that could see a resumption of U.N.-backed efforts. Aid groups say they have vast amounts of aid ready for Gaza that remain blocked. Donnelly said the IRC had 27 tons of supplies waiting to enter Gaza, faulting the GHF for distributing items such as pasta and tinned fish that require cooking supplies — not therapeutic food and treatment for malnourished children. He called for distributing relief in communities where people need it, instead of through militarized hubs. "If anyone really cares about distributing aid in a transparent, accountable, effective way, the way to do that is to use the expertise and infrastructure of aid organizations that have been doing this for decades," Donnelly said.
Rhyl Journal
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Joanne Froggatt among signatories calling on Government to take action on Sudan
Froggatt is among 50 high-profile people from TV, film, music and sport who have signed an open letter led by children's charity Plan International UK which calls on the Prime Minister to tackle the crisis in Sudan by maintaining funding commitments after announcing a cut in the foreign aid budget. The letter, which was also signed by Warfare's Will Poulter, Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh and singer-songwriter Cat Burns, will be delivered to 10 Downing Street on Monday alongside a petition signed by more than 8,500 members of the public. Froggatt said: 'Millions of children have been forced into dangerous, overcrowded camps both within and beyond Sudan. These are not safe places for such young lives. 'Children's lives are now characterised by danger and death as hunger and disease spread while the violence rages on. 'They are suffering in silence. We need to draw attention to this crisis and demand rapid action from the UK Government. By talking about Sudan we can save children's lives.' Since the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023, Sudan has topped the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) Emergency Watchlist, which analyses countries that are most likely to experience a new or worsening humanitarian crisis, for a second consecutive year. The IRC has also described it as 'the largest and fastest displacement crisis in the world' and the 'largest humanitarian crisis on record'. England footballer Lucy Bronze, director Sir Steve McQueen and musician Peter Gabriel have also added their names to the open letter alongside TV cook Delia Smith and boxer Ramla Ali. The letter reads: 'Following over two years of violent conflict, Sudan is now the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with half of the country's population – a staggering 24.6 million people – already facing high levels of acute food insecurity. 'Time is quickly running out. Violence, starvation and disease are killing more and more children every day. The UK Government must do all it can to help save lives before it is too late.' Burns, who is known for her hit song Go, added: 'What's happening in Sudan is devastating. 'Children are being torn from their homes, going hungry, and living through horrors no one should ever face. 'We can't turn away or stay quiet. The world needs to act before even more lives are lost.' The letter also urges the Government to increase international pressure and mediation to ensure a ceasefire as well as providing emergency funding and scaling up mutual aid groups. Poulter, who is known for We're The Millers and The Maze Runner, said: 'The stories about the scale of starvation coming out of Sudan are utterly heart-breaking. 'The situation is quickly escalating into one of the worst famines ever recorded. 'With such an extreme shortage of food, immediate action is needed now to save lives and prevent further suffering. We can't let children and their families in Sudan starve to death.' The letter is supported by a coalition of aid organisations, including the chief executives of Cafod, Save the Children UK, Action Against Hunger, Christian Aid, and leading Sudanese campaigners. Mohamed Kamal, country director for Plan International Sudan, said: 'The sheer scale of the suffering being endured by people in Sudan is almost impossible to comprehend. 'Two years of brutal fighting, severe restrictions on the delivery of life-saving aid and a near-total collapse of the food supply across the country has caused a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale the world hasn't witnessed in generations. 'With every day that passes, more and more children face the unacceptable risk of death from extreme hunger, war and disease. Turning our backs on them would be utterly inhumane.' The Government has been approached for comment.
South Wales Guardian
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Joanne Froggatt among signatories calling on Government to take action on Sudan
Froggatt is among 50 high-profile people from TV, film, music and sport who have signed an open letter led by children's charity Plan International UK which calls on the Prime Minister to tackle the crisis in Sudan by maintaining funding commitments after announcing a cut in the foreign aid budget. The letter, which was also signed by Warfare's Will Poulter, Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh and singer-songwriter Cat Burns, will be delivered to 10 Downing Street on Monday alongside a petition signed by more than 8,500 members of the public. Froggatt said: 'Millions of children have been forced into dangerous, overcrowded camps both within and beyond Sudan. These are not safe places for such young lives. 'Children's lives are now characterised by danger and death as hunger and disease spread while the violence rages on. 'They are suffering in silence. We need to draw attention to this crisis and demand rapid action from the UK Government. By talking about Sudan we can save children's lives.' Since the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023, Sudan has topped the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) Emergency Watchlist, which analyses countries that are most likely to experience a new or worsening humanitarian crisis, for a second consecutive year. The IRC has also described it as 'the largest and fastest displacement crisis in the world' and the 'largest humanitarian crisis on record'. England footballer Lucy Bronze, director Sir Steve McQueen and musician Peter Gabriel have also added their names to the open letter alongside TV cook Delia Smith and boxer Ramla Ali. The letter reads: 'Following over two years of violent conflict, Sudan is now the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with half of the country's population – a staggering 24.6 million people – already facing high levels of acute food insecurity. 'Time is quickly running out. Violence, starvation and disease are killing more and more children every day. The UK Government must do all it can to help save lives before it is too late.' Burns, who is known for her hit song Go, added: 'What's happening in Sudan is devastating. 'Children are being torn from their homes, going hungry, and living through horrors no one should ever face. 'We can't turn away or stay quiet. The world needs to act before even more lives are lost.' The letter also urges the Government to increase international pressure and mediation to ensure a ceasefire as well as providing emergency funding and scaling up mutual aid groups. Poulter, who is known for We're The Millers and The Maze Runner, said: 'The stories about the scale of starvation coming out of Sudan are utterly heart-breaking. 'The situation is quickly escalating into one of the worst famines ever recorded. 'With such an extreme shortage of food, immediate action is needed now to save lives and prevent further suffering. We can't let children and their families in Sudan starve to death.' The letter is supported by a coalition of aid organisations, including the chief executives of Cafod, Save the Children UK, Action Against Hunger, Christian Aid, and leading Sudanese campaigners. Mohamed Kamal, country director for Plan International Sudan, said: 'The sheer scale of the suffering being endured by people in Sudan is almost impossible to comprehend. 'Two years of brutal fighting, severe restrictions on the delivery of life-saving aid and a near-total collapse of the food supply across the country has caused a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale the world hasn't witnessed in generations. 'With every day that passes, more and more children face the unacceptable risk of death from extreme hunger, war and disease. Turning our backs on them would be utterly inhumane.' The Government has been approached for comment.
South Wales Argus
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Joanne Froggatt among signatories calling on Government to take action on Sudan
Froggatt is among 50 high-profile people from TV, film, music and sport who have signed an open letter led by children's charity Plan International UK which calls on the Prime Minister to tackle the crisis in Sudan by maintaining funding commitments after announcing a cut in the foreign aid budget. The letter, which was also signed by Warfare's Will Poulter, Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh and singer-songwriter Cat Burns, will be delivered to 10 Downing Street on Monday alongside a petition signed by more than 8,500 members of the public. Joanne Froggatt, pictured at the Brit Awards 2024, said 'by talking about Sudan we can save children's lives' (Ian West/PA) Froggatt said: 'Millions of children have been forced into dangerous, overcrowded camps both within and beyond Sudan. These are not safe places for such young lives. 'Children's lives are now characterised by danger and death as hunger and disease spread while the violence rages on. 'They are suffering in silence. We need to draw attention to this crisis and demand rapid action from the UK Government. By talking about Sudan we can save children's lives.' Since the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023, Sudan has topped the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) Emergency Watchlist, which analyses countries that are most likely to experience a new or worsening humanitarian crisis, for a second consecutive year. Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh is among those who have signed the Plan International UK letter (Lucy North/PA) The IRC has also described it as 'the largest and fastest displacement crisis in the world' and the 'largest humanitarian crisis on record'. England footballer Lucy Bronze, director Sir Steve McQueen and musician Peter Gabriel have also added their names to the open letter alongside TV cook Delia Smith and boxer Ramla Ali. The letter reads: 'Following over two years of violent conflict, Sudan is now the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with half of the country's population – a staggering 24.6 million people – already facing high levels of acute food insecurity. 'Time is quickly running out. Violence, starvation and disease are killing more and more children every day. The UK Government must do all it can to help save lives before it is too late.' Cat Burns said the situation in Sudan is 'devastating' (Ian West/PA) Burns, who is known for her hit song Go, added: 'What's happening in Sudan is devastating. 'Children are being torn from their homes, going hungry, and living through horrors no one should ever face. 'We can't turn away or stay quiet. The world needs to act before even more lives are lost.' The letter also urges the Government to increase international pressure and mediation to ensure a ceasefire as well as providing emergency funding and scaling up mutual aid groups. Will Poulter said families in Sudan cannot be allowed to starve to death (Ian West/PA) Poulter, who is known for We're The Millers and The Maze Runner, said: 'The stories about the scale of starvation coming out of Sudan are utterly heart-breaking. 'The situation is quickly escalating into one of the worst famines ever recorded. 'With such an extreme shortage of food, immediate action is needed now to save lives and prevent further suffering. We can't let children and their families in Sudan starve to death.' The letter is supported by a coalition of aid organisations, including the chief executives of Cafod, Save the Children UK, Action Against Hunger, Christian Aid, and leading Sudanese campaigners. Mohamed Kamal, country director for Plan International Sudan, said: 'The sheer scale of the suffering being endured by people in Sudan is almost impossible to comprehend. 'Two years of brutal fighting, severe restrictions on the delivery of life-saving aid and a near-total collapse of the food supply across the country has caused a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale the world hasn't witnessed in generations. 'With every day that passes, more and more children face the unacceptable risk of death from extreme hunger, war and disease. Turning our backs on them would be utterly inhumane.' The Government has been approached for comment.
Powys County Times
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Joanne Froggatt among signatories calling on Government to take action on Sudan
Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt is among dozens of famous faces who have called on the UK Government to take 'rapid action' and provide humanitarian aid to Sudan. Froggatt is among 50 high-profile people from TV, film, music and sport who have signed an open letter led by children's charity Plan International UK which calls on the Prime Minister to tackle the crisis in Sudan by maintaining funding commitments after announcing a cut in the foreign aid budget. The letter, which was also signed by Warfare's Will Poulter, Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh and singer-songwriter Cat Burns, will be delivered to 10 Downing Street on Monday alongside a petition signed by more than 8,500 members of the public. Froggatt said: 'Millions of children have been forced into dangerous, overcrowded camps both within and beyond Sudan. These are not safe places for such young lives. 'Children's lives are now characterised by danger and death as hunger and disease spread while the violence rages on. 'They are suffering in silence. We need to draw attention to this crisis and demand rapid action from the UK Government. By talking about Sudan we can save children's lives.' Since the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023, Sudan has topped the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) Emergency Watchlist, which analyses countries that are most likely to experience a new or worsening humanitarian crisis, for a second consecutive year. The IRC has also described it as 'the largest and fastest displacement crisis in the world' and the 'largest humanitarian crisis on record'. England footballer Lucy Bronze, director Sir Steve McQueen and musician Peter Gabriel have also added their names to the open letter alongside TV cook Delia Smith and boxer Ramla Ali. The letter reads: 'Following over two years of violent conflict, Sudan is now the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with half of the country's population – a staggering 24.6 million people – already facing high levels of acute food insecurity. 'Time is quickly running out. Violence, starvation and disease are killing more and more children every day. The UK Government must do all it can to help save lives before it is too late.' Burns, who is known for her hit song Go, added: 'What's happening in Sudan is devastating. 'Children are being torn from their homes, going hungry, and living through horrors no one should ever face. 'We can't turn away or stay quiet. The world needs to act before even more lives are lost.' The letter also urges the Government to increase international pressure and mediation to ensure a ceasefire as well as providing emergency funding and scaling up mutual aid groups. Poulter, who is known for We're The Millers and The Maze Runner, said: 'The stories about the scale of starvation coming out of Sudan are utterly heart-breaking. 'The situation is quickly escalating into one of the worst famines ever recorded. 'With such an extreme shortage of food, immediate action is needed now to save lives and prevent further suffering. We can't let children and their families in Sudan starve to death.' The letter is supported by a coalition of aid organisations, including the chief executives of Cafod, Save the Children UK, Action Against Hunger, Christian Aid, and leading Sudanese campaigners. Mohamed Kamal, country director for Plan International Sudan, said: 'The sheer scale of the suffering being endured by people in Sudan is almost impossible to comprehend. 'Two years of brutal fighting, severe restrictions on the delivery of life-saving aid and a near-total collapse of the food supply across the country has caused a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale the world hasn't witnessed in generations. 'With every day that passes, more and more children face the unacceptable risk of death from extreme hunger, war and disease. Turning our backs on them would be utterly inhumane.'
