A Week of Grief for IM
Earlier this week, what we had long feared happened: that one of our colleagues or partners in Gaza would be killed. This time it was our colleague Ahmed Al-Ghoul, who lost his life in an Israeli airstrike on the office of our partner organisation AISHA. In the same attack, our colleague Fatima Abu Al-Atta lost her child, and a pregnant woman who had sought shelter at the site was also killed.
This is a profound loss – for the families, for our colleagues on the ground, and for us at IM. Our thoughts are first and foremost with all those who must now continue living in a reality where death is present every minute of the day.
In the midst of this grief, AISHA continues its work under extremely difficult conditions. They distribute food, hygiene items, medicines and other essentials – and run eleven temporary tents where women and children can find refuge. Some of the tents are specifically for new mothers, who there receive support and knowledge to breastfeed and care for their children.
But our grief must not end with words. It must become action.
At IM, we work every day to strengthen people’s rights and dignity, in Gaza and around the world. We know that change is possible – but it requires courage, cooperation, and international pressure.
When children and pregnant women are deliberately killed, humanity itself is at risk of being lost. We therefore call on governments, decision-makers and the international community:
* Take immediate action to end the violence.
* Protect civilians.
* Defend human rights.
We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our donors. Thanks to you, we can continue supporting our partner organisations in Gaza and elsewhere in the world, even under the most difficult of circumstances.
But we need to be more. We need those of you who are prepared to get involved, influence politicians and stand up for human dignity. Speak out. Raise your voice. Say together with us:
“No. Enough is enough.”
This is a time of mourning. But it is also a time for action.
– Gabriella Fredriksson, Secretary General, IM
By: Malin Kihlström