UNITED NATIONS, Dec 02 : Describing the situation in Gaza as \u201cappalling and apocalyptic\u201d the UN Deputy Secretary-General , Amina Mohammed, on Monday called on world leaders to act decisively to alleviate suffering and prevent the further devastation of the war-shattered enclave.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a ministerial conference on humanitarian aid for Gaza, convened in Cairo by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, UN deputy chief Amina Mohammed emphasized the urgent need for lifesaving assistance and a plan for the enclave\u2019s long-term recovery, according to a press release issued at UN Headquarters in New York.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are here to help secure an immediate surge in lifesaving aid for the Palestinian people, ensure preparedness for a potential ceasefire, and begin laying the groundwork for recovery and reconstruction \u2013 this cannot happen soon enough,\u201d she said, speaking on behalf of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.<\/p>\n
Deliveries of desperately needed food and other supplies into Gaza have had to be halted through the enclave\u2019s Kerem Shalom crossing because of looting by armed gangs, the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees, UNRWA, has announced.<\/p>\n
The agency took the decision on Sunday after it said that lorries carrying food were \u201call taken\u201d after crossing into Gaza through what is the main aid corridor.<\/p>\n
(According to The New Arab, a London-based pan-Arab news outlet, Israel is aiding criminal gangs in Rafah, some of who are affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), to loot humanitarian aid under Israeli military protection.<\/p>\n
(In Israel, a former Defence Minister and fierce critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Moshe Yaalon, accused the government of ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza, where a military offensive continues.)<\/p>\n
Explaining the move after the looting of aid trucks, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that the route had not been safe \u201cfor months\u201d. On 16 November, a large convoy of aid trucks which also crossed through Kerem Shalom was stolen by armed gangs.<\/p>\n
Further inside Gaza, aid workers are deeply concerned that malnutrition levels are spiralling.<\/p>\n
UNRWA Senior Emergencies Officer, Louise Wateridge, speaking from one of the UN agency\u2019s schools in Deir Al-Balah where 6,000 people are sheltering on Monday, described families sleeping on cold, wet floors and witnessing one young child \u201ccrying and screaming in the corner, just screaming for a piece of bread. She was just crying for a piece of bread.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Cairo, Ms. Mohammed, the UN deputy chief, outlined the devastating toll of the conflict: with over 44,000 Palestinian lives, mostly women and children, reportedly lost, widespread displacement and the collapse of essential services.<\/p>\n
Children have been the worst impacted, with nearly 19,000 hospitalized in the past four months alone due to acute malnutrition. Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita globally, with many surgeries conducted without anaesthesia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we are seeing may well amount to the gravest international crimes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ms. Mohammed expressed deep concern over the severe restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza, describing the flow of supplies as \u201coutrageously\u201d insufficient and unpredictable<\/p>\n
\u201cAid by exception is neither humane nor effective,\u201d she said, citing challenges such as looting, unexploded ordnance, and destroyed roads.<\/p>\n
Last month, a large convoy of aid was stolen on the road out of Kerem Shalom: \u201cHumanitarian staff and operations must be guaranteed security. Access must be granted to all those in need, wherever they are. United Nations premises must remain inviolable at all times,\u201d she stressed.<\/p>\n
Ms. Mohammed called for robust support for the entire humanitarian aid system in Gaza, particularly UNRWA, describing it as an irreplaceable lifeline for Palestinians.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf UNRWA is forced to close, the responsibility of replacing its vital services \u2013 and meeting the core needs of Palestinians in Gaza \u2013 would rest with Israel as the occupying Power,\u201d she said, adding that there is no alternative to the UNRWA.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot the United Nations. Not the international community. But Israel \u2013 and Israel alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reiterating the need for a political solution, Ms. Mohammed urged an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of hostages.<\/p>\n
She also emphasized the urgency of a two-State solution, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe catastrophe in Gaza is nothing short of a complete breakdown of our common humanity,\u201d she concluded. \u201cThe nightmare must stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sigrid Kaag, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, painted a grim picture of the destruction and trauma she witnessed during her visits.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing prepares you as a fellow human being to the toll, the trauma, the suffering, the loss and the sense of abandonment Palestinian civilians feel,\u201d she told delegates in Cairo.<\/p>\n
Ms. Kaag underscored the importance of mental health support, particularly for children.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe scars of war are not only physical,\u201d she noted, calling for investments in psychosocial programmes alongside immediate aid and recovery efforts.<\/p>\n
Ms Kaag also urged stakeholders to prioritize early recovery initiatives, which include restoring basic services, rehabilitating infrastructure and fostering economic stability, in partnership with the Palestinian Authority.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarly recovery, after all, is also an investment in future stability, in prospects of peace of a Palestine of Gaza of which Gaza is an extricable link and entity of a future Palestinian State,\u201d she said. \u201cStatehood is not only about bricks and mortar,\u201d she added, \u201cRecovery is about restoring lives, dignity, and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 02 : Describing the situation in Gaza as \u201cappalling and apocalyptic\u201d the UN Deputy Secretary-General , Amina Mohammed, on Monday called on world leaders to act decisively to alleviate suffering and prevent the further devastation of the war-shattered enclave. Speaking at a […]<\/p>\n
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