Media Centre

Plan International Australia welcomes the Australian Government signing onto the Glasgow Statement at COP28 yesterday, ruling out funding of overseas fossil fuel projects. This is a positive step to a clean energy transition to help ensure a clean and healthy environment for children and young people. 

After a pause in fighting for just one week, Plan International is devastated by the resumption of violence in Gaza over the weekend and the shocking number of civilians and children being killed in a matter of days. Following the week-long pause and the release of 110 hostages from Gaza and 240 Palestinian prisoners, hopes held out by humanitarian agencies of a permanent and lasting ceasefire were crushed when Israel’s bombardments across the Gaza Strip resumed on Friday 1 December.

As the world’s most influential climate experts convene this week in Dubai for COP28, new research by humanitarian organisation Plan International and young people from three countries in the Asia Pacific has revealed the immense impact the climate crisis is having on girls’ and young women’s access to education.

As a four-day humanitarian pause ends in Gaza with an extension of two days, aid agencies supporting humanitarian work there are in Canberra stepping up calls on Prime Minister Albanese and Minister Wong to push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

Australia, Plan International Australia, Oaktree and ChildFund Australia on special protection of children in Gaza

Since 7 October, 11,078 people, including over 4600 children, have been killed in Gaza. We demand a complete and unconditional ceasefire, immediately. In 41 days 11,078 people, including over 4,600 children, have been killed according to the United Nations. No conflict should ever reach this point.  

We are horrified to learn of the bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza last night, where 50 people are reported to have been killed and hundreds injured. Refugee camps should be a place of safety and civilians, especially children, must be protected and never a target.

As allies, we know that when it comes to First Nations justice, it is First Nations communities who have the solutions and know what their communities need. We know that this moment is especially hard for First Nations communities and campaigners who disproportionately voted “Yes” for this change and who have championed a Voice to Parliament over the last months.