United Nations recently published a report on their findings about the situation in Gaza.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry, under the mandate of the UN Human Rights Council, concluded that acts of genocide have been committed against the Palestinians in Gaza.

As a humanitarian organisation founded on Islamic principles of justice and compassion, Al-Khair Foundation looks beyond the legal terminology and articulates the catastrophic human reality that it has experienced first-hand.

The Dismantling of Healthcare

A society’s strength can be measured by its ability to care for its most vulnerable. The report details a "concerted policy to destroy the healthcare system" in Gaza. Hospitals and other healthcare services have been targeted on multiple occasions.

Medical professionals, in testimony to the Commission, described the horror of performing amputations on children without anaesthesia due to the blockade on medical supplies. The report speaks of "reproductive violence," as maternal and newborn health services have collapsed, leading to unimaginable risks for pregnant women and their babies. For a people to be denied the means to heal is to be denied the very essence of life.

Famine as a Deliberate Tactic

The hunger crisis in Gaza is no accident. The Commission finds that the use of a total siege, cutting off food, water, and fuel, constitutes the intentional use of starvation as a method of warfare. The report affirms the warnings of the world’s leading food security experts: a "man-made famine" is unfolding.

This policy has had devastating consequences. Malnutrition is rampant, particularly among children, whose bodies and minds will bear the scars for a lifetime. The lack of clean water has unleashed outbreaks of disease, compounding the suffering of a population already weakened by hunger and trauma. This is a crisis of induced starvation on a scale that is simply unconscionable.

An Assault on the Future

The Commission documents it as a deliberate destruction of Gaza's future. The staggering toll on children, with over 18,430 lives lost, thousands permanently disabled and total collapse of educational and cultural structure of Gaza has pushed them away from development.

It highlights the targeted destruction of the Al-Basma IVF clinic, Gaza’s primary fertility centre, where an estimated 4,000 embryos were destroyed. The Commission concludes this was a "measure intended to prevent births among Palestinians." This is an attack not only on the living but on the continuity of a people, striking at the heart of hope and future generations.

The Al-Khair Foundation's Response

While the report highlights harsh reality, we look at the report from the humanitarian point of view. We look at the extent to which we need to intensify our efforts. The findings validate the purpose for which the Al-Khair Foundation exists: to stand with the oppressed and to provide life-saving aid in the face of overwhelming adversity. This is our shared Amanah - our sacred trust.

Through our Gaza Emergency Appeal, we are directly addressing the crises identified by the UN Commission.

• Combating Famine: Since October 2023 we have delivered over 50,000 food packs, 1 million hot meals, 30,000 fresh vegetable packs, 50,000 ready-to-eat packs and 10,000 flour packs. More than 1,100 trucks have delivered aid into Gaza.

• Restoring Medical Lifelines: Our emergency response team worked relentlessly to deliver essential medical supplies, trauma kits, and surgical equipment to 14 healthcare facilities. With the help of our donors, Al-Khair Foundation donated 9 ambulances and over 170,000 litres of fuel to hospitals.

• Providing Shelter and Dignity: Over the past 2 years, we have delivered over 10,000 tents, 30,000 clothes pack and 1,000 mobile washrooms to provide a measure of protection and stability in a landscape of ruin.

The people of Gaza are surviving in unbearable conditions. Their lives and their future are at stake. Our response must be equally determined.

Support our Gaza Emergency Appeal. Your contribution is a powerful act of solidarity and an essential lifeline to those facing the darkest of times.