Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) urged the Trump administration to demand that the Israeli government take immediate action to allow food, aid, and other supplies to be surged to the people of Gaza. Full text of the letter can be found below.

Dear President Trump:

I write to express my deep concern regarding the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Images and reports from the territory are heartbreaking, especially those showing children suffering from severe malnutrition. It is now inescapably obvious that current levels of aid permitted into Gaza are tragically inadequate relative to the massive need on the ground. While I appreciate your acknowledgement on Monday that Gaza is experiencing “real starvation,” I strongly urge you to go further by demanding that the Israeli government take immediate action to allow food, aid and other supplies to be surged to the people of Gaza in sufficient quantities to save lives and alleviate their suffering.

According to the United Nations, nearly half a million people in Gaza are facing famine-like conditions and a third of the population is going days without food. In addition, forty percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women are now severely malnourished, and over 5,000 children have already been treated for malnutrition in July alone, with many in life-threatening condition. In a statement on July 27, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher described the humanitarian situation in the territory as “devastating,” and went on to explain that “People are being shot just trying to get food to feed their families. Children are wasting away.”

To address these dire conditions, vastly more food, fuel, medical supplies, and other humanitarian assistance must be admitted into the territory without delay. Recent measures taken by the Israeli military to temporarily scale up aid deliveries are completely insufficient to meaningfully address the unmet needs of the civilian population. Simply put, humanitarian assistance cannot continue to be blocked or severely curtailed without risking a spiraling public health crisis.

Again, while the United States and our allies continue to push for the unconditional release of hostages and a permanent ceasefire, I urge you to do everything in your power to ensure aid reaches the people of Gaza. Addressing the threat of famine is consistent with our values and with the long-term security interests of both the U.S. and Israel.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Very truly yours,

Deborah K. Ross

Member of Congress

Prior to sending this letter, Congresswoman Ross joined her colleagues in May in calling for the Israeli government to immediately resume shipments of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Congresswoman Ross also joined a resolution calling on the Trump administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza and to bring about the release of the hostages.

 

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