UNSC, Int’l Orgs Concerned about Rapidly Deteriorating Gaza Conditions

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations Security Council has raised the alarm at the “dire and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation” in the Gaza Strip as “Israel” continues its genocidal aggression on the besieged strip.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the 15-member council urged all parties to work with UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag.

Earlier in the day, Kaag highlighted the irreplaceable role played by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees [UNRWA] in offering critical assistance to besieged Gaza.

“There is no way any organization can replace or substitute the tremendous capacity and the fabric of UNRWA and its ability and knowledge,” she told reporters.

Kaag warned that the absence of a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza is hindering aid efforts.

She also emphasized the importance of increasing the flow of commercial goods into the blockaded Palestinian territory in addition to humanitarian assistance.

“There will be no recovery, let alone reconstruction in the future, without that broad bandwidth,” she added.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization [WHO] also warned that defunding UNRWA threatens to worsen the already dire situation of over 2 million people in the Gaza Strip.

WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the funding row is “a distraction from what’s really going on every day, every hour, every minute in Gaza.”

“It is a distraction from the more than 27,000 deaths right now, of which 70% are women and children,” he noted. “It is a distraction from preventing an entire population from access to clean water, food, shelter. It is a distraction from preventing electricity from coming into Gaza for more than 100 days.”

In parallel, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that aid cuts to UNRWA will be felt within weeks in Gaza.

“Civilians in Gaza who are suffering, need the continued support of everyone,” he added. “The critical humanitarian work the UN does not only in Gaza, in the region, needs to be supported. People’s lives depend on it.”