Staff at Brighton and Hove Food Partnership are deeply concerned at the declared famine in Gaza. UNICEF UK reports that “more than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths.”
Many won’t survive. Those who do will carry the scars – physical and emotional – for life. It is not just a humanitarian crisis; it’s a test of our shared humanity – but it can be hard to know what to do. Here are some practical steps you can take, including some local options.
Support local fundraisers and solidarity events:
- Prints and Plates for Palestine – Sunday 7 Sept at Palmito, Gallery Lock in and Brusco
- Gig for Gaza – Monday 8 Sept at the Folklore Rooms
Brighton International Animation Festival’s fundraiser for Gaza – Thurs 11 Sept at Presuming Eds - Women in Black Brighton hold a weekly peace vigil at the War memorial.
Donate money to trusted humanitarian aid organizations that have a track record in Gaza:
- UN World Food Programme
- Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
- UNRWA
- Islamic Relief
- Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
- Gaza Soup Kitchen
Food purchasing choices
You can support ethical products which help Palestinians such as Zaytoun, Hadeel, The FOA shop, Sunblula, and the PSC shop. You can buy Palestinian products in a number of independent shops in Brighton such as Infinity Foods, Taj, Seed n Sprout, Wild Cherry and Oxfam. More listings for local, independent shops.
Boycotting brands that are complicit in Palestinian human rights violations is a powerful form of consumer activism. The Ethical Consumer has produced a useful guide to alternatives that includes a number of food brands.
One area of focus is the Israeli agricultural export companies which operate farms and packing houses in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. There are ongoing campaigns to boycott these food products. Check the label on products like dates, oranges and avocado – there is a guide to what to look for on a label when shopping.
The Co-op supermarket is the exception as they have stated they will not use ingredients in Co-op branded products or sell whole products from Israel.
You can also:
Support or organize peaceful protests, vigils, and public demonstrations.
Protests in London and major UK cities have drawn hundreds of thousands – these build momentum. We have shared above the details for local groups organising these events.
Join campaigns such as:
- Oxfam’s Red Line for Gaza where you can download and display a ceasefire poster from Oxfam.
- Palestine Solidarity Campaign
- Amnesty International UK
- Friends of Al-Aqsa
We will keep sharing food-related campaigns, local events & information on this page as we hear about them.
