August 2, 2024: The Right to Food Campaign of India has strongly condemned the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, accusing the Israeli government of using starvation as a weapon of war. The organization has also criticized the Indian government for its complicity in the crisis.
Over the past nine months, the conflict in Gaza has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including many children and women. Survivors face dire conditions, with hospitals and healthcare facilities targeted by the Israeli military, leaving the injured without medical care. United Nations agencies report that over 90% of Gaza’s population is suffering from acute food deprivation, exacerbating undernutrition and spreading disease. Recently, the Health Ministry in Gaza declared a polio epidemic.
“This attack on the right to food and healthcare necessitates an immediate ceasefire and a halt to all cooperation with Israel,” the campaign stated.
The group highlighted the Indian government’s failure to act against these war crimes, noting that India has instead continued to support Israel by subsidizing Indian companies producing military materials for Israel, sending Indian workers to replace Palestinian labor, and suppressing anti-Israel protests within India. India’s frequent abstentions in the United Nations on resolutions to restrain Israel have also been criticized.
The International Court of Justice defines complicity with genocide as any positive action aiding or assisting perpetrators.
Despite governmental suppression, protests in solidarity with Gaza have emerged across India. The Right to Food Campaign expressed hope that these protests would grow, emphasizing that starvation and disease as weapons of war are unacceptable.
“As a national network dedicated to upholding the right to food and nutrition, we stand with the people of Gaza and Palestine. We call for an immediate end to the war and a ceasefire now,” the organization declared.
The statement was issued on behalf of the Steering Committee of the Right to Food Campaign, which includes numerous national and state representatives, as well as individual advocates committed to human rights and social justice like Aysha and Gangaram Paikra, Kavita Srivastava, Anjali Bhardwaj, Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh, etc.
