Gaza (Union)
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, reiterated the necessity of an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons in the Gaza Strip, and the need to take real and tangible steps towards a two-state solution on the basis of United Nations resolutions, international law and previous agreements, warning that disease and famine are afflicting the people of the Strip.
This came during a press conference held by Guterres in New York, in which he said, “The situation in Gaza is getting worse. In addition to the death and destruction resulting from military operations, famine and disease are ravaging the Palestinians in Gaza.”
Despite some limited steps, the Secretary-General said that UN humanitarian operations continue to face denial of access, delays, obstacles and multiple risks, including gunfire.
He added, “One of our convoys was damaged by Israeli naval artillery earlier this week, and only 10 aid convoys arrived out of 61 that were scheduled to head to the north last January.”
The Secretary-General added: “Let us be clear: preventing humanitarian access means depriving civilians of humanitarian relief, including food and water for desperate populations, medicine and fuel for hospitals, and other life-saving supplies.”
Meanwhile, the World Food Program warned that the risk of famine in the Gaza Strip is increasing day after day, stressing that the arrival of aid to Gaza City is not enough to prevent famine.
The United Nations Program said in a statement, “The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing day after day, especially for an estimated 300,000 people in northern Gaza, who have been largely cut off from aid.”
He warned that the arrival of aid to Gaza City is not enough to prevent famine, stressing the urgent need for faster and more sustainable humanitarian access.
The World Food Program stated that “the World Central Kitchen, with support from the Royal Jordanian Air Force and the Royal Dutch Air Force, carried out airdrops using parachutes to deliver humanitarian aid to the Jordanian field hospital north of Gaza.”
Regarding the health situation in the Gaza Strip, the UN organization pointed out that “the health care situation in Gaza is still fraught with extreme risks amid continuing bombing and hostilities, a lack of medical supplies and personnel, restrictions on access, and rapidly deteriorating health conditions.”
In addition, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that more than half a million boys and girls in basic education are unable to receive education in Gaza.
Yesterday, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, touched on his account on the X platform yesterday about the Israeli attacks that have been ongoing for 126 days on the Gaza Strip.
He added: “The costs of the brutal war that has been going on for four months in Gaza are tragic for children, and their future is at stake.”
The Commissioner-General of UNRWA renewed his call for achieving a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
In turn, the head of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, Anne Skelton, said that “today there is no child in the Gaza Strip free of fear, pain and hunger.”
Skelton stressed, in a press conference, that “no child should grow up in fear, pain and hunger.”
She added: “However, today there is no child in Gaza who is free from fear, pain and hunger.”
The UN official stressed: “The children of Gaza will be considered lucky if they are able to survive this war and have the opportunity to grow.”
She pointed out that “some children in Gaza lost their lives, and others lost their limbs, parents, siblings, and friends.”
Skelton highlighted that “all of Gaza’s children have lost their childhood, been traumatized, and will live forever with a lasting impact on their mental health.”
On average, more than 10 children in Gaza have lost one or both legs every day since the conflict broke out 4 months ago, according to the same source.
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