As Children in Palestine Fight Hunger, the World’s Silence Is Unacceptable
The Cyprus Turkish Pediatric Association calls on the international community to act against the hunger and lack of healthcare facing children in Palestine.
The ongoing conflict and blockade conditions are depriving civilians in Palestine — children above all — of their most basic rights. Reports from the United Nations and international aid organisations show that children in the region are gripped not only by war, but by hunger and a lack of access to healthcare.
Months of blockade have prevented basic foodstuffs, drinking water, infant formula, medicine and medical supplies from reaching the region, with humanitarian aid convoys obstructed. This directly targets civilians, and especially children in their developmental years, threatening their health and their lives.
Under these conditions, it is clear that international law and human rights are being openly violated. Access to food and healthcare is a universal right that must be protected even in wartime. These practices, which disregard children's right to life and development, must end immediately, and humanitarian aid channels must be opened without delay.
As pediatricians, our professional principles obligate us to defend every child's right to life. As physicians from a country that has itself lived through war, we invite all civil society organisations, professional bodies and the international public to support this call and to raise their voices for the children of Palestine.
Children do not fight wars. They must not be starved. They must not be left without water. They simply want to live. This call must be answered without delay.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Dr. Ayşe Sayılı, MD
Secretary General
