At ADD International, like many others around the world, we have been deeply distressed by the events in Israel and Palestine in recent weeks.
We do not work in Israel and Palestine ourselves, but we want to express our solidarity with all of those impacted by this conflict. As an organisation that strives for disability justice, we are deeply concerned about disabled people who are affected by this conflict.
As we know and have witnessed most recently in Sudan this year, disabled people are often disproportionately affected by conflict. In Gaza, Human Rights Watch have reported that disabled people are having greater difficulty fleeing airstrikes and attacks and have lost access to essential medication and assistive devices such as wheelchairs and hearing aids.
There cannot be disability justice in a world where this kind of conflict and violence exists. We are deeply concerned about the disabling and traumatising impact of this conflict, both now and for generations to come.
Like many other organisations with whom we partner and align, we believe that our governments should be calling for an immediate ceasefire and invest in humanitarian support and peace building rather than military aid which contributes to increased levels of disability. We encourage humanitarian efforts in Gaza to take measures to protect the lives of disabled civilians by providing inclusive and accessible assistance to ensure the safety of all Palestinians.
We know that disability justice is tied to justice for everyone, everywhere, and we remain in solidarity with all those in Israel, Palestine and around the world who seek peace and justice. Central to our way of working is a commitment to listen to the voices and experiences of disabled activists. Below we share some resources that give you an opportunity to hear their voices:
- Article from the Disability Debrief on conflict through a “disability lens”.
- Article from the Disability Debrief on taking the side of humanity.
- Human rights watch article on how disabled people in Gaza are affected.
- Disability Rights Fund Urgent Call to protect the rights of persons with disabilities in Gaza
Other resources from organisations we are connected to that you might find useful:
- Amnesty International petition to demand a ceasefire
- Oxfam call for a ceasefire
- Peace Direct Statement on the rising tool of violence in Israel and Palestine