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[LONDON, 21 July 2006] - The British Prime Minister must reverse his current policy and urgently call for an immediate ceasefire by all sides in the current Middle East crisis, said a group of aid agencies working in the region last week. Christian Aid, Save the Children, Oxfam, Islamic Relief, CAFOD, World Vision and CARE International UK have come together as the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate and the Prime Minister’s policy seems increasingly at odds with the rest of the international community. So far the British Government is one of only a handful of governments who has yet to back calls for a ceasefire. “The situation on the ground is grim and getting worse. All sides need to stop fighting now if we are to pull this situation back from the brink and protect civilians. The Prime Minister has in the past provided admirable leadership on humanitarian crises, we can’t understand why he has got this one so horribly wrong. We urge him to rethink and urgently,” said, Janet Symes, Christian Aid’s Regional Manager for the Middle East, talking on behalf of the group. According to the aid agencies the continued attacks are not only causing widespread suffering, the targeting of civilian infrastructure is making the aid operation much harder. “Civilians are the main victims of this and a ceasefire would be in all their interests. While British civilians may have been lucky enough to escape, millions of people just like them but without a British passport are left in the region to suffer. All sides must guarantee humanitarian access to all those left behind, so that help reaches those in urgent need of assistance,” said, Geoffrey Dennis, Chief Executive of CARE International UK, talking on behalf of the group.