ISGlobal endorses a call to prevent further mass violence and starvation in Gaza

ISGlobal’s mission is to improve global health, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. As such, we raised the alarm about the escalating situation in Gaza already 20 months ago, calling for an immediate ceasefire to end the violence and ensure protection and care for the local population.

Since then, conditions have deteriorated dramatically, making Gaza one of the gravest human-made health crises of our time. The systematic destruction of the healthcare system—over 125 health facilities attacked and 1,400 healthcare workers killed—together with the deliberate starvation of the population, has led to an intolerable level of casualties and suffering. The heaviest toll falls on children, who now hold the tragic record of the highest number of amputations per capita worldwide.

This is why we support the open letter published in The Lancet, endorsed by over 3,300 signatories, which calls for urgent action to prevent further mass violence and starvation in Gaza. As a global health institution, we share the responsibility to speak out against this unacceptable situation, where life expectancy at birth declined by around 35 years in 2024—a sharper fall than that observed in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide.

We call on the international community to act swiftly to end this crisis and to uphold the fundamental right to health for the people of Gaza.