“Salah Effect”: UEFA announces Gaza aid initiative for children after criticism
Following public pressure and a challenge from football superstar Mohamed Salah, UEFA has launched a new humanitarian initiative to provide aid to children in Gaza.
The announcement, made through the UEFA Foundation for Children, comes amidst debate over the organization's political stance and its response to the death of a prominent Palestinian footballer.
Read more: Mohammad Salah blasts UEFA for silence on Gaza after footballer death
The catalyst for the initiative was the killing of Suleiman al-Obeid, a 41-year-old former Palestinian national team player known as the "Palestinian Pele".
According to a statement from the Palestine Football Association (PFA), al-Obeid, a husband and father of five, was killed by ‘Israel’ while waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip.
An ‘Israeli’ military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, later claimed that an "initial review" found no records of any incident involving al-Obeid and requested more information.
UEFA initially responded with a brief social media post paying tribute to al-Obeid as "a talent who gave hope to countless children" but did not mention the circumstances of his death.
Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, who reposted the tribute on X, said, "can you tell us how he died, where, and why?".
In response, the UEFA Foundation for Children announced new partnerships with three humanitarian organizations, Médecins du Monde, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and Handicap International, to deliver "vital humanitarian help for the children of Gaza".
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, who also serves as chairman of the foundation, stated that children are "innocent" and that it is the organization's duty "to stand beside children when they need us".
The aid efforts will include medical care, psychosocial support, food distribution, and education on the risks of explosive remnants.
UEFA noted that this new initiative is an extension of its previous work in other conflict zones, including Ukraine, Sudan, and Yemen.
However, the initiative has not quieted all criticism. Some observers and human rights advocates have pointed to a perceived double standard, contrasting UEFA's actions with the swift and strong sanctions it imposed on Russian clubs following the invasion of Ukraine.
The UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, was among those who called for ‘Israel’ to be expelled from all football competitions.
