Official Declaration of Famine in Gaza

“What we are witnessing today in Gaza is an unbearable tragedy. Never before has famine been declared in this region. Hundreds of thousands of civilians – women, children, and men of all ages – are now starving, while trucks loaded with food remain desperately blocked at the borders.

Humanitarian organisations have been sounding the alarm for months. This famine was not inevitable: it was preventable. The blockade imposed by the Israeli authorities is deliberately preventing the population from accessing sufficient food, water, and medical care.

In over twenty years of humanitarian engagement, I have never witnessed a situation where humanitarian principles are so systematically disregarded and access to aid so massively and persistently obstructed. What prevents us from acting is not a lack of will or resources, but the sheer impossibility of delivering assistance and ensuring the safety and dignity of civilians and humanitarian workers in Gaza. This situation is simply unacceptable.

I want to emphasise the solidarity of the population in Switzerland, which continues to mobilise tirelessly. It is expressed in particular through donations to Swiss Solidarity’s “Humanitarian crisis in the Middle East” appeal. Yet, as long as humanitarian access remains blocked, we cannot respond adequately to the emergency or provide the vital assistance the population so desperately needs. The few actions we are still able to support testify to our determination to remain present and remind the people of Gaza that they are not forgotten. But they remain painfully insufficient in the face of such overwhelming catastrophe.

Echoing the United Nations, international NGOs, and numerous public figures, the Foundation calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. It is both imperative and urgent that world leaders act without delay to bring an end to this unacceptable tragedy. Safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access must be guaranteed by all parties to the conflict, as required under international humanitarian law.

Swiss Solidarity will remain committed for as long as necessary and stands ready to scale up its support as soon as access becomes possible.”