STATEMENT
Before now, we have intentionally never commented on war or genocide. NFORC is not able to, nor would we want to, comment on each of the atrocities committed by oppressive and violent colonial forces in the name of nation states.
However, we know the following to be fact.
What is happening in Gaza right now is unprecedented. “Oxfam has been providing humanitarian relief for people caught up in war for decades. We do this in Somalia, Yemen and Syria, and we have been doing this in Palestine for decades. But what is happening in Gaza today is unprecedented”. - Chief Exective of Oxfam, Dhananjayan Sriskandarakah (1)
Our government is complicit in the death of innocent civilians. On Thursday the 19th of October, the British government, alongside the Russian federation, abstained from voting for a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire and condemning indiscriminate attacks against civilians. (2)
Antisemitic hate crimes are up 1,350 percent in London.* (3)
In all and conflict war, it is women and girls who are disproportionately impacted.
“Conflict can result in higher levels of gender-based violence against women and girls, including arbitrary killings, torture, sexual violence and forced marriage. Women and girls are primarily and increasingly targeted by the use of sexual violence, including as a tactic of war.
Gender-based violence also spikes in post-conflict societies, due to the general break down of the rule of law, the availability of small arms, the breakdown of social and family structures and the “normalization” of gender-based violence as an additional element of pre-existing discrimination. Trafficking is also exacerbated during and after conflict owing to the breakdown of political, economic and social structures, high levels of violence and increased militarism.
Girls can face additional obstacles in accessing education. These barriers are due to fear of targeted attacks and threats against them, and to the additional caregiving and household responsibilities that girls are often obliged to assume. Women are also forced to look for alternative sources of livelihood, as family survival comes to depend heavily on them.
Access to essential services such as health care, including sexual and reproductive health services can be disrupted, with women and girls being at a greater risk of unplanned pregnancy, maternal mortality and morbidity, severe sexual and reproductive injuries and contracting sexually transmitted infections, including as a result of conflict-related sexual violence. (4)
As we once again, bear witness to the horrifying legacy of British colonial forces and foreign policy, we are committed to ensuring that The New Forest Off Road Club continues to be a place for community and connection at a time when hope is essential.
(1) Never in Oxfam’s history have we seen a humanitarian crisis like the one in Gaza.
(3) The Guardian. Antisemetic hate crimes in London Rise 1350 per cent since israel Hamas war.
(4) UN. Women’s human rights and gender-related concerns in situations of conflict and instability.
