The world has “failed the individuals of Gaza”, he mentioned. Greater than 41,000 individuals have been killed since Israel’s offensive started in response to the Hamas-led terror assaults of seven October. Greater than 90,000 Gazans have been wounded, the bulk girls and kids.
“Two million Palestinians at the moment are crammed into an area the scale of the Shanghai Worldwide Airport, current – not dwelling, however current – amongst lakes of sewage, piles of garbage and mountains of rubble,” the UN chief mentioned.
“The one certainty they’ve is that tomorrow will likely be worse.”
UNRWA’s sacrifice
Regardless of being the one beacon of hope, no less than 222 UNRWA employees and plenty of different members of the family have been killed, a number of whereas serving in shelters that got here underneath hearth – the best demise toll in UN historical past.
Other than the repeated assaults on employees merely for doing the roles, “the humanitarian response in Gaza is being strangled,” Mr. Guterres mentioned.
“Safety and deconfliction mechanisms for humanitarian assist deliveries have failed. Makes an attempt to evict UNRWA from its headquarters in East Jerusalem proceed, and UNRWA has not been spared on the political stage,” he added. “This contains systematic disinformation campaigns that discredit the company’s lifelong work.”
He pointed to draft laws making its manner by means of Israel’s Knesset in search of to label UNRWA a terrorist group, which might outlaw its operations on Israeli territory.
Confidence in UNRWA
“Within the face of the catastrophic situations, UNRWA perseveres,” the Secretary-Common mentioned, expressing his full confidence within the neutrality and impartiality of the group following an unbiased assessment into alleged collusion of some employees within the 7 October massacres.
“Member States are exhibiting that very same confidence. Just about all donors have reversed their funding suspensions, [and] 123 nations have signed as much as the declaration on shared commitments to UNRWA.”
He mentioned there is no such thing as a various to the company in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“Now’s the time to work on all fronts to accentuate assist for the company’s very important mission – assist with funding that’s enough, predictable and versatile,” the UN chief concluded.
