Joint Open Letter to PM & Minister of Foreign Affairs: Canada Must Act NOW to End the Deliberate and Systematic Starvation of Palestinians in Gaza

July 23, 2025

Dear Prime Minister Carney and Minister Anand, 

We, the undersigned organizations and institutions, write to express our grave concern over the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, in particular, the deliberate and systematic starvation of the Palestinian civilian population. We urge the Government of Canada to take immediate action to stop this atrocity, uphold international law, and help avert an imminent famine. 

First-hand accounts from families in Gaza describe unbearable suffering: 

“People in Gaza are boiling water with salt to drink to preserve their intestines from rotting because of absence of food”

“Everyone’s blood pressure is very low, 80/40 is common and people just collapse on the streets and die.”

These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a broader, state-imposed policy of starvation, as documented by numerous UN agencies and human rights bodies. 

In May 2025, the World Health Organization warned of the escalating risk of famine in Gaza due to the deliberate withholding and obstruction of humanitarian aid. As of July 2025, over half a million people in Gaza face catastrophic levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 5) – the most severe classification. This is not a natural disaster. It is a man-made crisis, driven by systematic blockade and denial of aid. 

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UNICEF, and UNRWA have all reported on the dire situation: 

• Since March 2025, rates of child malnutrition in Gaza have doubled. 
• In June alone, more than 5,800 children were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, many at immediate risk of death.
• UNRWA recently stated that they have “enough food for the entire population of Gaza stockpiled in warehouses” but are unable to distribute it due to Israeli restrictions at border crossings. 

This is, in the words of WHO, “one of the world’s worst hunger crises.” It is occurring in full view of the international community and demands urgent intervention. 

As Canadian organizations committed to human rights, humanitarian protection, and global justice, we call on the Government of Canada, to act immediately by: 

1. Demanding the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Canada must use all diplomatic and political avenues to ensure safe, consistent, and large-scale delivery of food, medicine, water, and fuel through all border crossings. Delays and blockades are costing lives. 

2. Protecting the Integrity of Humanitarian Aid. Canada must:

• Ensure that aid is delivered through neutral and established humanitarian agencies, includingUNRWA, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC);
• Oppose any aid mechanisms controlled by military actors or occupying powers; 
• Reject frameworks that violate humanitarian principles or facilitate forced displacement, and; 
• Support independent investigations into obstruction, misuse, or politicization of humanitarian assistance.

3. Unequivocally calling for a permanent and immediate ceasefire to end the killing of civilians and destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure, including hospitals, water systems, aid convoys.

This is a defining moral moment. Millions of lives are at stake, including tens of thousands of children. As Canadians, we expect our government to uphold its international legal responsibilities and act with urgency and moral clarity. 

We urge you to push to open the gates, lift the siege, and end the suffering. The time to act is now.  

Sincerely,

The Signatories

Signed: 

Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC)