United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has said that people are measuring the effectiveness of humanitarian operation in Gaza based on number of trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent, the UN and her partners that are allowed to unload aid across the border.
Guterres, speaking to media on Friday over the situation in Gaza added that such measure is a mistake while pointed out that the real problem is the way Israeli Defense Force conducting its offensive which he said creating massive obstacles to distribution of humanitarian aid inside Gaza.
According to him, “An effective aid operation in Gaza requires security; staff who can work in safety; logistical capacity; and resumption of commercial activity. These four elements do not exist. First, security. We are providing aid in a war zone”.
UN Chief lamented that the intense Israeli bombardment and active combat in densely populated urban areas throughout Gaza threaten the lives of civilians and humanitarian aid workers alike.
He said UN waited 71 days for Israel finally to allow aid to enter Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing, revealing that crossing was then hit while aid trucks were in the area. “Second, the humanitarian operation requires staff who can live and work in safety.
“136 of our colleagues in Gaza have been killed in 75 days, something we have never seen in history of United Nations. Nowhere is safe in Gaza. Honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and pay tribute to the thousands of humanitarian aid workers who are risking their health and lives in Gaza.
“Most of our staff have been forced from their homes. All of them spend hours each day simply struggling to survive and support their families. It is a miracle that they have been able to continue working under these conditions.
“And yet, those same colleagues are expanding humanitarian operations in southern Gaza to support people living there, while trying to assist the flood of displaced people who arrived from the north – with nothing.
“They are currently providing aid in Rafah, western Khan Younis, Deir El Balah and Nuseirat in the south, and doing their best to reach the north despite huge challenges, namely security. In the appalling conditions, they can only meet a fraction of the needs.
“Third, logistics. Every truck that arrives at Kerem Shalom and Rafah must be unloaded, and its cargo re-loaded for distribution across Gaza. We ourselves have a limited and insufficient number of trucks available for this.
“Many of our vehicles and trucks were destroyed or left behind following our forced, hurried evacuation from the north, but the Israeli authorities have not allowed any additional trucks to operate in Gaza. This is massively hampering the aid operation.
“Delivering in the north is extremely dangerous due to active conflict, unexploded ordnance, and heavily damaged roads. Everywhere, frequent communications blackouts make it virtually impossible to coordinate the distribution of aid, and to let people know how to access it.
“Fourth and finally, the resumption of commercial activities is essential. Shelves are empty; wallets are empty; stomachs are empty. Just one bakery is operating in the whole of Gaza. I urge the Israeli authorities to lift restrictions on commercial activity immediately”, he said.
Guterres insisted that humanitarian ceasefire is the only way to begin meet the desperate needs of people in Gaza and end the ongoing nightmare, hoping that the Security Council Resolution may help this to happen but added that much more is needed immediately.
Looking at the longer-term, he expressed disappointment by the comments from senior Israeli officials that put the two-state solution into question. “As difficult it might appear today, the two-state solution, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements, is the only path to sustainable peace.
“Any suggestion otherwise denies human rights, dignity and hope to the Palestinian people, fueling rage that reverberates far beyond Gaza. It also denies a safe future for Israel. The spillover is already happening”.
He stated that the occupied West Bank is at the boiling point, saying daily exchanges of fire across Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel pose grave risk to regional stability. “Attacks and threats to shipping on the Red Sea by the Houthis in Yemen are impacting shipping with the potential to affect global supply chains.
“Beyond the immediate region, the conflict is polarizing communities, feeding hate speech and fueling extremism. All this poses a significant and growing threat to global peace and security. As the conflict intensifies and the horror grows, we will continue to do our part”, he said.
Guterres reiterated that the United Nations will not give up, but added that at this time, it’s imperative that international community speak with one voice: for peace, for protection of civilians, for an end to suffering, and for a commitment to the two-state solution, backed with action.