• “The deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid and targeting of aid sites is a violation of International Humanitarian Law".

• Expresses its deepest solidarity with healthcare workers in Gaza

 

Wednesday 30 July 2025. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) is gravely concerned with the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where civilians, particularly children, are facing extreme levels of starvation, displacement, and violence. The situation is intolerable and cannot be alleviated without urgent international action.

The United Nations (UN) has reported that the worst-case scenario of famine is now unfolding in the Gaza Strip and mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths.   

Healthcare workers are among those starving, even while striving to treat the wounded and care for communities under appalling conditions.

What is needed in Gaza is the full and immediate lifting of all barriers to humanitarian aid. Aid must be allowed to flow safely and freely through non-partisan and trusted international partners such as the UN. The deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid and targeting of aid sites is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and their protocols.

The health system in Gaza has collapsed. Doctors are being forced to deliver care in conditions that defy belief. They are under constant threat, without adequate equipment, and often without electricity or clean water. Many of our medical colleagues have been injured or killed in the course of their work. The IMO expresses its deepest solidarity with healthcare workers in Gaza and their families and salutes their courage and commitment to their work.

International humanitarian law must be respected and enforced. We urge the Irish Government and the European Union to take immediate and decisive action to protect civilians in Gaza and ensure access to food, water, shelter, and medical care. These are fundamental human rights.