blockade

12 days since land, air and seaports in Yemen were closed, Oxfam and 13 other aid agencies are appalled by the complacency and indifference of the international community regarding the historic humanitarian disaster now unfolding.

Seven million people are on the brink of famine, yet the deepening crisis in Yemen is completely avoidable if decision makers re-open ports and stop supplying weapons.

Oxfam and 17 other humanitarian agencies expressed serious concern today over the Saudi Arabia-led Coalition’s decision to temporarily close all entry points to Yemen, effectively sealing the country off. The agencies demand that humanitarian operations are allowed to resume immediately and request clarity on the planned duration of the current closure and contingencies to allow humanitarian supplies to be delivered.  

2018 marks 51 years since the occupation of the Palestinian Territory and 11 years of the Gaza blockade. It has devastated Gaza’s economy, caused widespread destruction and left most people largely cut off from the outside world. Check our timeline and find out how the blockade has been affecting Palestinians' life.

The international community continues to turn a blind eye to Israel’s violations of international law and the abuse of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Oxfam said today. 

The agencies call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, facilitate safe passage of those trapped in conflict areas, allow humanitarian access to those in need and cease damage to vital infrastructure.

As the blockade imposed by Israel approaches its 9th anniversary, it continues to devastate the lives and livelihoods of 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza. This collective punishment keeps people poor, denies them their rights and fails to make Israel safer, Oxfam said today.

Over 150,000 people from around the world have joined 35 organizations in calling for world leaders to press the Israeli government to lift the blockade on Gaza as its reconstruction could take 17 years with just 5% of building materials allowed in one year on since the end of the last conflict.

One year on from the 2014 Gaza conflict, most people's lives have not improved and an entire generation of young people face an increasingly bleak future with little hope of jobs, reconstruction or safety, Oxfam said today. 

Humanitarian agencies are calling on the international community to support a lasting solution that could save the lives of millions of civilians in Yemen, as the United Nations prepares to host peace talks on Sunday June 14th in Geneva.