United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation in the Gaza Strip as “horrific and catastrophic,” warning that the conditions experienced by Palestinians in the Strip may amount to “the most serious international crimes.”
In a speech read by his aide Amina Mohammed during the “Strengthening the Humanitarian Response in the Gaza Strip” conference, which was held in Cairo on Monday, Guterres urged the international community to “build the foundations for sustainable peace in Gaza and throughout the Middle East.”
“Malnutrition has spread… Famine is imminent. Meanwhile, the health system has collapsed,” Guterres said.
He added that Gaza now has “the largest number of amputated children in the world relative to the population,” as “many lose limbs and undergo surgeries without even anesthesia.”
The Secretary-General also criticized the severe restrictions on the delivery of aid, and said that the Gaza siege “is not a crisis related to logistical issues,” but rather “a crisis of political will and respect for the basic principles of international humanitarian law.”
International relief agencies have repeatedly expressed their concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and noted that aid shipments currently arriving in the Strip are at their lowest level since the outbreak of war in October 2023.
Starving northern Gaza
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that all its attempts to deliver aid to the northern Gaza Strip were met with either prevention or obstruction in the period from October 6 to November 25.
Guterres stressed that UNRWA is “an irreplaceable lifeline for millions of Palestinians,” and added that “if UNRWA is forced to close, Israel will bear the responsibility of finding an alternative to its vital services.”
For his part, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said, in his speech at the Cairo conference, that the agency “remains the backbone of the humanitarian response” in Gaza.
He called for relying on a “strong international political and legal framework” to ensure the entry of aid into Gaza. He added that “without this, humanitarian workers, no matter their level of sacrifice and courage, cannot survive and deliver aid.”
An appeal from Gaza
Meanwhile, the government media office in Gaza called on UNRWA to retract its decision to suspend the entry of aid from the Kerem Shalom crossing, and also called for increasing the number of aid trucks in light of the continued starvation policy used by Israel, “a weapon of war against civilians.”
The office said, in a statement, that UNRWA’s decision “is a shocking and surprising decision, and we hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for its repercussions.”
Yesterday, UNRWA announced the suspension of receiving aid through the Kerem Shalom border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip due to insecurity, noting that aid trucks had been stolen by armed gangs.
The government media office accused Israel of fully coordinating “with the lawless and immoral gangs that steal aid at its direct instruction to ensure that it is not delivered to those who deserve it, and that it is not delivered to our Palestinian people.”
According to UNRWA data, only 65 aid trucks were able to enter Gaza during the past month, compared to an average of 500 trucks before the war.
