AFP journalists warn Gaza colleagues face death without urgent help: ‘Without intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die.’
Washington: A group of journalists at the Agence France-Presse news agency is sounding the alarm about conditions faced by colleagues working in Gaza, saying that “without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die.”
In a war-torn territory where Israel generally forbids outside journalists to enter, international news organizations like AFP, The Associated Press and Reuters rely on local teams to get out the news. They’ve been hampered by safety concerns and hunger in Gaza, where an estimated 59,000 people have died in the 21-month conflict, according to local health authorities.
The Society of Journalists at AFP, an association of professionals at the news agency, detailed what their Gaza colleagues are facing. AFP’s management said Tuesday that it shares concerns about the “appalling” situation and is working to evacuate its freelancers and their families.
“For months, we have watched helplessly as their living conditions deteriorated dramatically,” AFP said in a statement.
