UNITED NATIONS, Jun 27 : Warning that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza had reached \u201chorrific proportions\u201d, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Friday reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire and that the world must not let the suffering of Palestinians be overshadowed by other regional conflicts.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters ahead of his departure to Spain for the International Conference on Financing for Development, the Secretary-General said that while the Israel-Iran conflict had dominated recent headlines, the plight of civilians in Gaza remained urgent and dire.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamilies have been displaced again and again \u2013 and are now confined to less than one-fifth of Gaza\u2019s land,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven these shrinking spaces are under threat. Bombs are falling \u2013 on tents, on families, on those with nowhere left to run.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UN chief described the situation as the most severe since the onset of the war, citing acute shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe search for food must never be a death sentence,\u201d he said, highlighting the danger faced by Palestinians simply trying to survive.<\/p>\n
He has repeatedly called for three urgent steps: an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and full, unimpeded humanitarian access.<\/p>\n
On Friday, he again pressed for these demands, emphasising that aid workers are starving, hospitals are rationing life-saving supplies and civilians are trapped in unsafe zones.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s needed now is a surge \u2013 the trickle must become an ocean,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The UN chief stressed that Israel, as the occupying power, is legally obliged to facilitate humanitarian relief.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo those in power, I say: enable our operations as international humanitarian law demands. To those with influence, I say: use it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, a small convoy of UN medical supplies entered Gaza for the first time in months, Mr. Guterres noted, adding that it only underscored the overwhelming scale of the need.<\/p>\n
He also also cautioned that any aid delivery method must ensure civilian safety, stressing that \u201coperations which place desperate people in or near militarized areas are inherently unsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the solution \u2013 a detailed plan grounded in the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt worked during the last ceasefire. So it must be allowed to work again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guterres concluded with a broader political appeal: \u201cThe only sustainable path to re-establishing hope is by paving the way to the two-State solution. Diplomacy and human dignity for all must prevail.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 27 : Warning that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza had reached \u201chorrific proportions\u201d, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Friday reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire and that the world must not let the suffering of Palestinians be overshadowed by other regional conflicts. […]<\/p>\n
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