FOREIGN aid groups submitted an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong to support the latest International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza.
The open letter urged the Australian Government to ensure it complies with the international law and adhere to its obligations under the Genocide Convention and the Arms Trade Treaty.
The coalition of foreign aid groups also asked Australia to use its voice and influence to publicly support the recent ICJ ruling in favor of emergency measures to stop the war between Israel and Hamas, including support for critical humanitarian access and reconstruction efforts.
Moreover, the aid groups asked the government to support new funding such as providing an additional $100-M of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank, ending transfer of any military goods to Israel, supporting an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and doubling the Humanitarian Emergency Fund to $300-M.
The letter submitted by the Australian Council For International Development was signed by organizations including Oxfam Australia, Plan International Australia, action aid Australia, and Caritas Australia, to name a few.
The open letter was announced days after Australia and eight other countries stopped sending aid to the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) following reports that some staff of the organization were sacked due to their alleged involvement in the October 7 attack launched by Hamas.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed Australia’s desire to resume funding the UN agency by asking the country’s humanitarian coordinator to work out the next steps.