To: Ms. Satvinder Reyatt, Interim Chief Executive, Royal College of Occupational Therapists Mr. Steve Jamieson, Chief Executive, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

We, the undersigned UK occupational therapists and speech & language therapists, raise our voices in response to the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Tens of thousands of civilians, including thousands of children, have been killed. Nearly every child now faces starvation, trauma, displacement, and disease. Further to this, adults with long term disability, serious mental illness, neuro-divergent people, along with those experiencing new disability as a result of this humanitarian catastrophe are disproportionately impacted in how they can live their lives.  Rehabilitation and communication services have been decimated. Clinics and community centres lie in ruins, essential supplies are obstructed, and therapists are unable to deliver critical interventions to support the physical and mental health needs of affected communities. From trauma recovery to developmental disorders and disability support, the absence of these services has profound and far-reaching consequences. This is merely a snapshot of the wider health and wellbeing implications of surviving within a sustained humanitarian catastrophe.

We stand in solidarity with our Palestinian occupational therapy and speech & language therapy colleagues who are working in unimaginable conditions amid conflict, siege, and systematic attacks on healthcare provision and personnel. We are deeply alarmed by the devastating developmental impact on children, particularly the heightened risk of regression due to a hostile environment compounded by the lack of access to essential medication and therapeutic support. Neurodivergent individuals face immense barriers to participating in daily life and engaging in meaningful occupations, while the widespread destruction of infrastructure has severely undermined mobility and access for people with physical disabilities. This population has indiscriminately lost the safe, supportive environments necessary for everyday functioning and for nurturing the skills essential to building a future.

We note and appreciate the past statements made by RCOT (October 2023) and RCSLT (October 2023) condemning hate, expressing sympathy, and highlighting the deployment of resources in conflict zones. However, in the face of mass civilian suffering and the collapse of vital therapeutic services, we believe stronger action is urgently needed.

We call upon the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to:

• Speak out clearly in condemnation against the targeting of civilians, healthcare workers, and infrastructure, and condemn the use of siege and starvation as weapons of war, recognising these as violations of international law and fundamental healthcare ethics.
• Support and align with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2728 (March 2024), which demands an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, unimpeded humanitarian access, and the protection of civilians and health professionals.
• Express public solidarity with Palestinian occupational therapists and speech & language therapists, including those killed, detained, or displaced, and actively seek avenues to offer moral, educational, and material support to colleagues enduring crisis conditions.
• Create space for candid conversation that enables members to raise concerns regarding humanitarian issues without fear of censure or marginalisation.
• Advocate for the urgent restoration of rehabilitation and communication services in Gaza, including therapy for trauma recovery, developmental disabilities, paediatric care, and outreach work by collaborating with international humanitarian and health bodies. Support efforts to allow those who require healthcare and rehabilitative intervention  to leave Gaza to access treatment and therapy, including in the UK.
• Mobilise occupational therapists and speech & language therapists across the UK for advocacy through public statements, education, petitions, and policy engagement that centre rehabilitation and communication needs in humanitarian responses, including supporting independent investigations into attacks on healthcare and potential violations of international law.
• Convene and support collaborative conferences and coordinate efforts in rebuilding the capacities and resources of Palestinian OT and SLT services. This may be an urgent summit with UK therapy colleges, international partners, humanitarian organisations, and Palestinian clinicians, to address the immediate crisis and build sustainable recovery plans for rehabilitation and communication services in Gaza.

Our professions exist to restore function, dignity, communication, and participation in life — these values cannot remain neutral in the face of mass suffering and systemic health injustice. We call for urgent action in line with the ethics and moral duty of our professions.

Sincerely,

[The Undersigned]

UK Occupational Therapists and Speech & Language Therapists