OYY calls for a ceasefire and for humanitarian aid to have unimpeded access to Gaza
We at the Student Union of the University of Oulu call for a ceasefire and for humanitarian aid to have access to Gaza. The military operations in Gaza have caused a grave humanitarian crisis that has been going on for more than a month now. Around 2 million people reside in Gaza, and the area has been blockaded. Only around 5 percent of the people have enough clean drinking water, and it has been challenging for humanitarian aid to access the area. According to YLE (only in Finnish) the transportations of aid have been stopped again and there are already 11 500 victims in Gaza of which 4 710 are children. We at OYY also demand that the state of Finland does what it can to advance peace in the area.
Despite the extent of the violence, we must remember that the military actions in Gaza do not ever justify antisemitism or islamophobia. The parties in the crisis are the state and the terrorist organization, not the people living in the area or from the area. There are also people studying and working at the University of Oulu who have ties to the area. We must remember to support them especially during these difficult times.
The current world situation understandably causes anxiety for many, and we want to remind you of the resources that are available. If the crisis touches or distresses you, you can contact, for example, the University of Oulu’s university chaplain, who offers one-on-one conversational help to students. In addition to the university chaplain, you can also contact Mieli ry’s crisis helpline.
If you wish to help, even a small donation amount for humanitarian aid is important and helps the victims of the war in their distress. You can also encourage others to donate or share information on the situation of the crisis. During international crises, there is plenty of misinformation produced by different quarters going around on social media, so it is important to be mindful of source criticism.