June 10, 2011
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
United NationsNew York, NY 10017 USA
RE: Inspection and sealing of Freedom Flotilla II cargo
Dear Mr. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
We are writing to urge you to use your good offices in support of the humanitarian needsof the people of Gaza.
In our view, you can support the people of Gaza with two key actions. First, byappointing a representative to inspect and seal the cargo of the boats of the FreedomFlotilla II—thus assuring the Israeli government that the boats are carrying humanitariansupplies such as toys, medical supplies, cement and educational materials. Equallyimportant, we strongly urge you to use your authority to call on all governments tosupport the safe passage of the Freedom Flotilla II. We are disappointed to learn of yourrecent efforts to persuade member governments from stopping the delivery ofhumanitarian aid to Gaza on the Freedom Flotilla II. We urge you to reconsider andinstead encourage member states to lend support and ask Israel not to use force againstlegitimate humanitarian initiatives undertaken by civil society to help ease the sufferingof the people of Gaza who are facing a humanitarian crisis of devastating scale.
The Freedom Flotilla II, organized by 14 national groups and international coalitions andcarrying approximately 1500 ‘freedom riders,’ is set to sail to Gaza this month. Sailing inthe spirit of promoting human rights, prosperity, and social responsibility, the aim of theFlotilla is to alleviate the humanitarian crisis faced by the citizens of Gaza.
The blockade in Gaza is clearly having a harmful impact on the people of Gaza, andindeed UNDP and other agencies report high levels of malnutrition and other disturbinghealth problems. According to a report by the World Food Programme and the Food andAgriculture Organization, the level of “abject poverty” among the Palestinians of Gazahas tripled since the imposition of the blockade, with 61 % of households not havingenough food. The blockade has crippled the Gaza economy and destroyed Palestinians’livelihoods and homes.
We believe our requests to you are in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 1860of January 2009 as well as the 2010 UN Human Rights Council fact-finding mission onthe attack on Freedom Flotilla I, which are calling for a lift of the blockade to allowhumanitarian assistance. We urge you to do all you can to support this nonviolentinternational humanitarian effort, to provide UN representatives to inspect and seal thecargo, and to appeal to all governments to allow safe passage of the Freedom Flotilla II.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your positive response.
Sincerely,
Mairead Corrigan Maguire
Jody Williams
Rigoberta Menchu Tum
Shirin Ebadi
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