Global Call: Urgent Action Needed to End Suffering
By Vincess Okushi
The global promise of “No One Will Be Left Behind” under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development rings hollow as Gaza endures an unseen tragedy with 43,391 Palestinians martyred, and 102,337 injured and largely ignored by world leaders.
Briefing the media in Abuja on November 7, 2024, the Palestinian Envoy to Nigeria, Ambassador Abdullah Shawesh, revealed that this staggering number is from Gaza alone since October 2023.
The majority of these casualties are women and children, innocent lives caught in the crossfire, Shawesh lamented.
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, 777 Palestinians have also perished. Gaza has become a wasteland of rubble and human remains, with its people barely holding on amid deprivation and disease. The world remains silent as Gaza’s people endure one of the darkest chapters in their history.
He added that the human toll in Gaza extends beyond immediate casualties, with 11,923 students killed and 19,199 injured over the past 13 months, stressing that 341 educational institutions have been targeted, leaving 77 destroyed.
People’s hopes and dreams are shattered, robbing an entire generation of their future. he stressed.
The ambassador while noting the impact of the humanitarian crisis, revealed that,
The entire population in North Gaza faces an imminent threat of death from disease, famine, and violence.Shawesh added.
An estimated 90% of Gaza’s population is displaced, struggling to survive in makeshift shelters with no access to necessities. The water crisis is dire, with only 4.74 liters available per person per day, far below emergency thresholds. The healthcare system is collapsing, with 32 out of 36 hospitals damaged or destroyed and 880 healthcare workers killed.
Ambassador Shawesh urgently called on the international community to honor its promise to protect the rights and lives of Palestinians.
The world must wake up to this humanitarian catastrophe and take immediate action to end the suffering.
