On the recordJanuary 24, 2024
Madam President, I would like to say a few words about the urgent humanitarian catastrophe now unfolding in Gaza. The reason I want to do that is I just have the feeling that most people--maybe here in the Senate and throughout the country--are just not aware of how severe the situation has become. My staff and I have had a number of conversations in recent days with the United Nations, the World Food Programme, and other humanitarian actors struggling to deal with the horrors unfolding in Gaza. Here is the bottom line: The coming weeks could mean the difference between life and death for tens of thousands of people. If we do not see a dramatic improvement in humanitarian access very soon, countless innocent people, including thousands of children, could die of dehydration, diarrhea, preventable diseases, and starvation. The World Health Organization predicts that the number of deaths from sickness and starvation could exceed the 25,000 people who died from Israeli bombs. Let's be clear: What is going on in Gaza today is a man-made crisis. This is not a natural disaster. This is not climate change. This is a man-made crisis taking place right now, and it is the direct result of choices made by political leaders--none more than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel's extreme rightwing government.…
Source
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