Halima Begum, CEO of ActionAid UK, responds to MPs voting against calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Responding to the debate in the House of Commons this evening in which the majority of MPs voted against calling for a ceasefire, Halima Begum, CEO of ActionAid UK, said:
"From a humanitarian perspective, it is heartbreaking to watch our elected representatives reject this opportunity to demand an end to the horror unfolding in Gaza and Israel. A free vote would have allowed all parliamentarians to vote with their consciences. Certainly, not one of our MPs could claim to be ignorant of the catastrophic humanitarian situation facing more than 2.3 million Palestinians, yet still many of them failed to call for the only solution that will prevent further deaths and trauma, as well as the release of the hostages.
"Over the last five weeks, we have heard of the nightmarish reality on the ground in Gaza from our colleagues and partners: of pregnant women having to undergo caesareans without pain relief, of helpless mothers watching their children fall weak from dehydration and malnutrition before their eyes, of entire families who have been killed. How many more bombs need to fall and how many more children in incubators need to die before our politicians say enough is enough?
“Tens of thousands of constituents have signed petitions and urged their MPs to be on the right side of history by calling for a ceasefire. Tonight, their voices and the voices of millions of people across the country went unheard, but they will not be silenced. We won’t stop calling for an end to the fighting – our shared humanity is at stake.”