The BBC must reverse its decision. Complain to the BBC here.

Stop the War understands that the government has contacted the BBC to complain about its decision to refuse the broadcasting of a humanitarian appeal for Gaza.

The BBC’s decision will prevent the raising of millions of pounds in emergency aid being sent to Gaza. Stop the War demands that the exchange between the government and the BBC be made public immediately.

Brendan Gormley, of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which is co-ordinating a national appeal for Gaza said, “We deeply regret this decision. Agencies are already providing food, drugs and blankets as well as delivering clean water. But we will soon reach the limit of what we can do, without more money.”

The reason the BBC has given for blocking an appeal for emergency aid is that it wants “to avoid any risk of compromising public confidence in the BBC’s impartiality”.

Lindsey German, National Convenor of Stop the War said, “What has ‘impartiality’ to do with an appeal for humanitarian aid to a devastated people? How can you be impartial about that? Either these people need the aid or they don’t.”

This is the first time in the 48 years of DEC national appeals for humanitarian aid that a broadcast has been refused. DEC estimates that £10 million of urgently required aid would not now be sent to help Palestinians in Gaza, living in catastrophic conditions.

“This is a betrayal of the BBC’s obligation to be a public service,” said Tony Benn, President of Stop the War. “To deny the help that the aid agencies and the UN need is incomprehensible.”

It is imperative that the BBC responds to the government’s complaint and reverses its decision to refuse this broadcast. If it does not, we will see people in Gaza continue to suffer due to being denied emergency relief because of BBC ‘impartiality’.