Symbolic politics falls from the sky – hunger remains on the ground
11.08.2025 - Terre des Hommes criticizes the current airdrops of aid packages as dangerous and ineffective and calls for an immediate ceasefire, the lifting of the blockade, and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid.
"The current airdrops create images rather than offer real solutions and rarely reach the people who most urgently need support , said Nina Violetta Schwarz, Terre des Hommes ' Middle East representative. "While packages are being dropped from aircraft, tons of aid remain blocked at the borders. The infrastructure for large-scale and safe aid is in place – experienced humanitarian organizations are ready to deploy. Nevertheless, the Israeli blockade prevents the targeted and sufficient supply of food, medicine, and clean water to the civilian population."
The war continues unabated: For 22 months, people in Gaza have been dying from Israeli airstrikes and starvation. Current figures show that approximately half a million people are at acute risk of starvation. Organizations and partners on the ground report malnourished children, exhausted aid workers, destroyed infrastructure, and deadly attacks on medical personnel and the press.
The expansion of ground operations into Gaza City will have further catastrophic and irreversible consequences for the children and their families.
What is really needed now is an end to the siege and an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the opening of all border crossings, and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid. Symbolic politics doesn't save lives—real aid does.
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