"I hope CBC will continue to cover the reality behind the numbers and images we see on the news so that we don’t become desensitized by Israelʼs clear violations of international humanitarian law."
December 22, 2023
To:
Kris Reyes, Correspondent, CBC
Nancy Waugh, Sr. Manager, CBC
Dear Kris Reyes and Nancy Waugh,
I am writing to thank you for the article: “In Gaza, thousands of aid workers risk their lives on mission to ensure the well-being of others,” published on December 21 on CBC.
I appreciated this article that covered the issues of one of the groups of people that are getting targeted by Israel's attacks on Gaza. It is invaluable that they have been given a platform while we merely read the numbers of casualties in the news.
It is unbelievable how widespread aid workers, who shouldn’t be targeted as they are protected under international law, are being targeted. It is difficult to make sense of how common it has become in Israel’s bombardment campaign on Gaza.
This sentence was as shocking as it was telling to read: “It’s the highest number of UN aid workers killed in one conflict in the history of the United Nations, a fact that was pointed out earlier this month by UN Security General António Guterres.”
In line with this idea, I found it pertinent that you added that: “The deaths of aid workers is especially painful for Gaza. Even before the current conflict, 80 per cent of its 2.2 million people relied on aid, according to Human Rights Watch.” It paints an even more gruesome picture of these deaths since Palestinians were so reliant on humanitarian aid even before October 7.
Thank you for covering this unfortunate dimension of the situation in Gaza while trying to depict a humanizing yet heartbreaking picture behind the numbers. I discovered that “70 per cent of [Toumaʼs] colleagues have been displaced and many have lost a family member. Yet, they still put on their UNRWA vest every morning and go to work.”
Thank you, Kris Reyes and CBC, for this article covering the reality of aid workers in the context of the ongoing situation in Gaza and humanizing them by giving them a voice. I hope CBC will continue to cover the reality behind the numbers and images we see on the news so that we don’t become desensitized by Israelʼs clear violations of international humanitarian law.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East