I urge the members of the Security Council to press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. I reiterate my appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. This is urgent
Emmanuel Ukudolo I Thursday, Dec. 07, 2023
NEW YORK – The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has for the first time invoked Article 99 for the first, following relentless bombardment of the Gaza strip by Israel.
The relentless bombing of civilians has left over 15,000 residents killed, among them over 7,000 children, while over 43,000 people have been wounded since October 7 when Israel invaded Gaza following a surprise attack by Hamas which left 1200 Israelis killed.
In his letter to President of the UN Security Council, His Excellency, Jose Javier De la Gasca Lopez Dominiquez, the UN scribe noted that more than eight weeks of hostility in Gaza has created appalling human suffering, physical destruction, and collective trauma across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He alluded to the October 7 attack by Hamas in which 1200 people were brutally killed, among them 33 Israeli children. He also mentioned that some 250 people were also abducted by Hamas, including 34 children, with more than 130 of them still in captivity.
These captives, he said, must be released immediately and unconditionally, stressing that accounts of sexual assaults during the arrack are equally appalling.
According to him, the situation in Gaza is to say the least appalling: “Since the start of Israel’s military operation, more than 15,000 people have reportedly been killed, over 40 percent of whom were children, thousands of others have been injured. More than Hall of all homes have been destroyed. Some 80 percent of the population of 2.2 million has been forcibly displaced into increasingly smaller areas. More than 1.1 million people have sought refuge in UNRWA facilities across Gaza, creating overcrowded, undignified and unhygienic conditions.
“Others have nowhere to shelter and find themselves on the streets. Explosive remnants of war rendering areas uninhabitable. There is no effective protection for civilians. The healthcare system in Gaza is collapsing. Hospitals have turned into battle grounds. Only 14 out 36 facilities are even partially functional. The two major hospitals in South Gaza are operating at three times their bed capacity and are running out of basic supplies and fuel. They are also sheltering thousands of displaced persons. Under these circumstances, more people will die untreated in the coming days and weeks”, Guterres warned.
“Nowhere is safe in Gaza”, he said, adding that with constant bombardment by the Israel Defence Forces, IDF, there will be no shelter and essentials for survival. “I expect public order to completely break down soon due to the desperate conditions, rendering even limited humanitarian assistance impossible.
“An even worse situation could unfold, including epidemic, diseases and increased pressure for mass displacement into neigbouring countries’ ‘, he noted.
The UN Secretary General alluded to Resolution 2712(2023) by the Security Council, calling for scale up of the provisions of such supplies to meet the humanitarian needs of the civilian population, especially children.
According to him, the current conditions are making it impossible for meaningful humanitarian operations to be conducted. “We are nevertheless preparing options for monitoring the implementation of the resolution, even if we recognise that in the present circumstances, that is untenable”.
He noted that while delivery of supplies through the Rafah Crossing continues, quantities are insufficient and have dropped since the pause came to an end.
“We are simply unable to meet those in need inside Gaza. The capacity for the United Nations and its humanitarian partners has been decimated by supply shortage, lack of fuel, interrupted communications and growing insecurity. Humanitarian personnel have joined the vast majority of Gaza civilians in evacuating South Gaza ahead of advancing military operations. At least 130 UNRWA colleagues have been killed, many with their families”, he told President of the United Nations.
He said that the UN is facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system.
“The situation is fast deteriorating into a catastrophe with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinains as a whole and for peace and security in the region. Such an outcome must be avoided at the last cost”, he warned.
The UN Scribe pointed out that the International community has a responsibility to use all its influence to prevent further escalation and end this crisis.
“I urge the members of the Security Council to press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. I reiterate my appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. This is urgent. The civilian population must be spared from greater harm. With a humanitarian ceasefire, the means of survival can be restored and humanitarian assistance can be delivered in a safe and timely manner across the Gaza Strip”, he said
