President Higgins calls for aid to be made 'urgently available' to prevent Gaza famine

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) published their latest findings on Monday, noting that all of Gaza is at risk of acute food shortages — and the report added that unless there is urgent intervention, the south of Gaza will be suffering famine by July. Picture:AFP via Getty Images)

President Michael D Higgins has said that aid must be made "urgently available" in response to a report which said that 70% of people in northern Gaza are on the brink of famine.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) published their latest findings on Monday, noting that all of Gaza is at risk of acute food shortages — and the report added that unless there is urgent intervention, the south of Gaza will be suffering famine by July.

President Higgins has echoed those calls for urgent intervention.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the President said: "It is important that the circumstances of those suffering are not reduced to any rhetorical battle as to whether or not the aid that has been made available is being blocked or delayed from those whose very life in so many cases depends on it."

He said that it would be "beyond immoral if the world sought to satisfy itself by the simple taking of sides in what are assertions and counter-assertions."

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President Higgins called for the "full facts" to be established and responded to, with "all of the aid" being made "urgently available."  

He called for an international group to be allowed access to all of the points where aid is located and to report their findings to all sides — including those "anxious to be involved in feeding the people of Gaza, including through the UN, and that appropriate actions follow,"

"Such action would have the obvious benefit of being in keeping with the findings of the International Court of Justice and its instruction that civilians must be protected." he noted.

One in three children in northern Gaza under the age of two now experience acute chronic malnutrition.

President Higgins concluded: "The establishment of what are the facts as to the availability of the necessities of life itself should be not only welcomed by all, but insisted upon by all of the international community, its actors and agencies. Failure to do so should not be rewarded with the immunity of silence.”