Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has strongly criticised the global community for its inaction amid the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying that while the world sleeps, “its conscience is buried.”
In a post on X, Chidambaram expressed anguish over the mounting civilian toll in the conflict zone.
“Humanity is shamed in Gaza. Every day, the number of killings in Gaza is in the double digits. Many of them are women and children who had nothing to do with starting the conflict,” he wrote.
Citing UN data, he further highlighted that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in recent months while trying to obtain food.
“Look at the pictures of hungry children at refugee camps. It is obvious they are starving — and dying,” he added, lamenting global apathy toward the suffering.
India, too, has expressed concern over the situation. During the United Nations Security Council’s quarterly debate on the Middle East, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, called for an immediate ceasefire, sustained humanitarian access, and the release of hostages.
Ambassador Harish stressed that “intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough” and warned of collapsing public systems in Gaza.
He noted that 95% of Gaza’s hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 650,000 children have had no access to education for over 20 months, citing data from the WHO and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
According to figures cited by Al Jazeera from Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 58,386 people have been killed and 139,077 wounded in Gaza since October 7, 2023. In Israel, 1,139 people died in Hamas-led attacks on the same day, and more than 200 were taken captive.
Chidambaram’s remarks come amid growing international calls for urgent diplomatic intervention and humanitarian relief in the region.
