Palestine: Urgent Global Action against the Use of Starvation as Genocide in GAZA
Saturday 13 April – Global Day of Mobilisation and Fasting in Solidarity with the People of Gaza
(Bagnolet: April 4, 2024) As a result of the deliberate actions carried out by the Israeli occupation of Palestine, hundreds of thousands of residents of Gaza are being denied access to sufficient food, are suffering from extreme hunger, and confront the growing risk of death by starvation. The intentional, ongoing use of hunger as a tool of genocide adds to the massacre of over 32,000 Gazans, a third of whom are children, and another third women. Despite the fact that many nations and international institutions have demanded a ceasefire, Israel continues to bomb civilian infrastructure and—with the help of its accomplices—to block access to humanitarian and food aid, along with other supplies necessary for the survival of the people of Gaza.
Together, we can send a powerful message from every corner of the earth condemning the use by Israel and its accomplices of starvation as a tool of genocide.
In the current context in which an entire population is suffering from hunger and confronts the risk of death by starvation, we, La Via Campesina and Union of Agricultural Work Committees (our member organisation in Palestine) call upon the people of the world to join us on the 13th of April, our Global Mobilisation Day in Solidarity with Palestine, to carry out among other actions Global Fasting[1] in solidarity with the people of Gaza. We believe that this symbolic action of fasting will encourage all of us to pause and reflect on what is happening in Gaza. We also encourage donating the money not spent on food to our emergency anti-starvation fund, or to any another organization working on the ground in Palestine to fight the deliberate use by Israel of starvation as a tool of genocide and to provide food directly to people in Gaza.
Some of the actions to take on the 13th of April include:
- Participating in a street protest in solidarity with Palestine.
- Engaging with your local government official(s) to make action for Palestine.
- Organizing demonstrations in front of Israeli embassies, as well as those of countries that support Israel, such as the US, Germany, and the other EU countries.
- Hosting webinars, cultural events, and round table discussions.
- Planting trees.
- Writing statements.
- Creating materials and visual artworks to strengthen solidarity with Palestine and advocate for justice.
- Supporting Boycott Campaign
All these peaceful activities that highlight the Palestinian cause are acts of solidarity. This collective and diverse action can exert pressure on governments to push for a ceasefire and bring an end to the starvation of the people of Gaza.
Information about Union of Agricultural Work Committees
The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) is a Palestinian organization founded in 1986 by agronomists, with a focus on food sovereignty and empowering peasant farmers in the West Bank and Gaza through a sustainable community-based liberational developmental framework. UAWC is part of numerous international networks, among them La Vía Campesina and International Coalition to Stop Genocide in Palestine (ICSGP). It has been leading and coordinating the #StopGazaStarvation campaign since beginning of the Israel genocidal war on Palestine late 2023.
Donate Now – Donations of any and all amounts – no matter how large or small – are urgently needed! Encourage others to do the same!
Download and Read the recent UAWC Update Report on this campaign here
[1] Started on the 9th of March – ref https://viacampesina.org/en/global-action-against-the-use-of-starvation-as-genocide-in-palestine/