ALEXANDRIA, VA – Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) has released the following statement:
It has taken far too long but finally the United Nations Security Council has listened to the pleas from Gaza and around the world and called for an immediate ceasefire for the rest of Ramadan.
We welcome this step, but words mean little until they are turned into action. Now UN member states must ensure that the resolution becomes reality on the ground, and becomes permanent.
People in Gaza are starving to death and Israel continues to obstruct humanitarian aid from entering. Earlier today Israel announced it will refuse UNRWA aid convoys access into northern Gaza, where people are most desperate for food, making famine even more likely.
The resolution calls for a ceasefire for Ramadan, but a pause during the remaining two weeks of the holy month will not be enough to save lives and avoid famine. Only a lasting ceasefire and an end to Israel’s siege can do that. World leaders must step up the pressure and use all levers available to them, such as suspending arms sales, to ensure compliance with today’s resolution. This must not be yet another UN resolution that is ignored by the Israeli government – it must be one by which they are held to account.
MEDIA CONTACT
Syed M. Hassan
mhassan@irusa.org or
(571) 421-7032 (CELL)
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Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to provide relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of gender, race, or religion, and works to empower individuals in their communities and give them a voice in the world. Its programs benefit millions of people each year in more than 40 countries around the world, including in the United States.
Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.