A ceasefire in Gaza is an urgent demand and there is no response from the United Nations

As the General Assembly waits to meet to discuss the US veto of another draft resolution seeking an immediate cessation of hostilities, leaders of 19 UN agencies and partner organizations expressed frustration with the current context.

A statement issued by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee warned of the spread of diseases and the approaching famine in light of water scarcity and the destruction of basic infrastructure.

“Food production has stopped. Hospitals have become battlefields. The text read: “One million children face daily trauma.”

On Thursday, the Secretary-General of Doctors Without Borders, Christopher Lockyer, described the Israeli attack as a struggle against the entire population of the Strip, and collective punishment without rules: war at any cost.

When briefing the Security Council on the humanitarian work carried out by that organization, Lockyer insisted on the necessity of “a permanent ceasefire, not a temporary period of calm,” rejecting the proposal put forward by the representative of the United States and its proximity to the discussion.

The people of Gaza need a ceasefire not when possible, but now. He stressed that anything less is gross negligence.

For his part, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Peace in the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, expressed his regret at the lack of a political horizon for the region in light of the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Strip.

The envoy warned that the UN's ability to provide assistance depends on coordinated humanitarian movements, effective disengagement with the parties, and Israeli approvals of essential communications equipment and armored vehicles.

He added, “Keeping Gaza on a phased basis not only deprives desperate residents of life-saving support, but also creates further chaos that further impedes the delivery of humanitarian aid.”

The context is particularly complicated by the deterioration of the operations of the main humanitarian actor on the ground: the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

A letter sent by its Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, to the President of the General Assembly, Denis Francis, confirmed that the entity had reached a breaking point due to Israeli calls for its abolition and the consequent freezing of funds “when needed most.”

The agency's ability to fulfill its mandate “now faces a serious threat” while in just over four months Gaza has seen “more children, more journalists, more medical workers and more UN staff killed than anywhere else” in the world During the conflict. The text is confirmed.

Lazzarini asked the forum to provide political support to prevent the immediate invasion of UNRWA, which is an essential decision in the face of the paralysis suffered by the Security Council and the demand for a ceasefire.

The High Commissioner urged the Assembly to provide the political support necessary to sustain the agency or create a path “for an immediate transition towards a long-awaited political solution that can achieve peace for Palestinians and Israelis.”

Jaha/ebr