We Condemn the Tragic Killing of Aid Workers in Gaza

In response to the tragic killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza, Project HOPE’s Executive Vice President, Chris Skopec, said:

“We are horrified and heartbroken by the tragic killing of seven innocent humanitarians in Gaza who were bombed while traveling in marked vehicles after facilitating lifesaving food delivery operations in Deir al Balah. Aid workers are protected under international humanitarian law and should never be targeted. Nearly 200 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since October including our late colleague, Mohammed Hamed Mansour Madi, making Gaza one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a humanitarian worker. This is unacceptable and demands accountability through the International Criminal Court.  

Millions of people in Gaza are on the brink of famine. To prevent more senseless deaths, aid workers and aid shipments must be protected. We have paused all programming in Deir al Balah and Rafah for the next three days in solidarity with World Central Kitchen and to reassess the security situation as we prioritize our staff members’ safety. In order to allow humanitarian organizations to safely provide lifesaving care, we reiterate our call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.” 

Project HOPE is actively supporting Palestinian communities affected by the conflict. Our team in Gaza has provided over 12,000 health consultations at our primary health clinics in Rafah and Deir al Balah. We also have had emergency and trauma medical staff providing care at Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al Balah through our partner JHASi. Project HOPE is providing mental health support through local partners and has distributed family hygiene kits, mattresses, and blankets to ANERA. We have prepositioned additional medical supplies that are still awaiting entry into Gaza.

For Media Inquiries: Contact bjustus@projecthope.org (WhatsApp: +1 503-764-7864) or media@projecthope.org.