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Six months into war, UN chief demands 'quantum leap' in Gaza aid
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Middle East


SIX MONTHS INTO WAR, UN CHIEF DEMANDS 'QUANTUM LEAP' IN GAZA AID

April 05, 2024 12:17 PM update April 05, 2024 4:47 PM
 * By Margaret Besheer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, center, leaves after speaking to the
media at United Nations headquarters in New York on April 5, 2024, ahead of the
six-month mark of the Israel-Hamas war.
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UNITED NATIONS — 

The U.N. secretary-general warned on Friday that children are dying in Gaza from
hunger and dehydration and said a “quantum leap” in the delivery of lifesaving
aid is urgently needed.

“When the gates to aid are closed, the doors to starvation are opened,” Antonio
Guterres told reporters.

He said as the six-month mark in the war between Israel and Hamas approaches on
Sunday that the “speed, scale and inhumane ferocity” of the war mark it as one
of the deadliest conflicts for civilians, aid workers, journalists and medical
personnel.

“Six months on, we are at the brink: of mass starvation; of regional
conflagration; of a total loss of faith in global standards and norms,” he said.
“It’s time to step back from that brink — to silence the guns, to ease the
horrible suffering and stop a potential famine before it is too late.”

He reiterated his condemnation of Hamas’ October 7 terror attack on Israel and
his calls for the unconditional release of all the hostages still held by Hamas
and other armed groups.

The secretary-general acknowledged that in the aftermath of Monday’s deadly
strike on a World Central Kitchen aid convoy, which killed seven aid workers,
the Israelis have pledged to allow a “substantial increase” in humanitarian aid
distributed in Gaza.

“I sincerely hope that these announced intentions are effectively and quickly
materialized because the situation in Gaza is absolutely desperate,” he said.

Israel said on Friday that it will temporarily open the Erez crossing into Gaza
and allow aid shipments to be processed at its Ashdod port — requests
humanitarians have been making for months.

Children search rubble for food

U.N. Security Council members condemned the strike on the World Central Kitchen
team during an emergency session on Friday to discuss the risk of famine and
attacks against aid workers. Israel announced the dismissal of two officers
involved in the strike earlier Friday.

Many council members noted that more than 220 aid workers have been killed since
the conflict began, most of them Palestinians.

“What is so unsettling about the deaths of our colleagues from World Central
Kitchen is that they did everything they were supposed to do, and they were
still killed,” Janti Soeripto, president and chief executive of Save the
Children U.S., told the council.

She said her organization, like other aid groups, shares the coordinates and
movements of its workers with the Israeli military and COGAT – the Israeli
government agency responsible for coordinating with aid groups.

“And we do not get on the road if we do not have confirmation that they have
been received and that our movement is deconflicted,” she said.

Just back from Gaza, Soeripto described seeing malnourished children searching
for food, many of them climbing barefoot over glass and debris.

“Running around desperately looking for food and water because not enough is
being allowed into Gaza,” she said. “They were visibly, demonstrably
malnourished.”

She said nearly 350,000 children younger than 5 are at risk of starvation in
Gaza.

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said it is “lies” that his government limits aid
entering Gaza, and despite the “tragic incident” involving the WCK workers,
Israel will go on coordinating and securing aid missions into Gaza.

Slovenia, joined by Algeria, Guyana and Switzerland in calling for Friday’s
meeting, said perhaps the council should have met in Gaza to understand the
level of desperation and the risk of famine.

"Waiting for a famine declaration will not change anything on the ground,
unfortunately,” Slovenian Ambassador Samuel Zbogar said. “But we know what will
— an immediate cease-fire.”

After months of paralysis, the 15-nation council agreed to a resolution on March
25 demanding an immediate cease-fire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It
has yet to be implemented and Ramadan ends next week.

Some council members expressed concerns that food is being used as a weapon of
war — a potential war crime. Others criticized Israel’s recent decision
prohibiting the U.N.’s main aid agency in Gaza, UNRWA, from conducting
distribution missions to northern Gaza, where famine-like conditions may already
be present.

“We call on the Israeli authorities to reverse their decision and allow UNRWA to
deliver lifesaving services to the people in the north,” Guyana Ambassador
Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said.

In northern Gaza, the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, says one in six children
is acutely malnourished and at least 31 people, including 28 children, are
believed to have starved to death in recent weeks.

Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour appealed to the council take concrete action to
prevent more Palestinian deaths.

“Action is needed now at every level, with every means possible,” he said.


RELATED

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   IRANIAN CONSULATE IN SYRIA

 * US SAYS UN NOT VENUE TO NEGOTIATE PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD


MORE MIDDLE EAST NEWS

 * MAJOR MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES RESUME FLIGHT SCHEDULES AFTER IRAN’S ATTACK ON
   ISRAEL 

 * ZELENSKYY WARNS AGAINST RUSSIA’S AND IRAN’S COORDINATED 'TERROR’ ATTACKS 

 * ISRAEL'S MULTILAYERED AIR-DEFENSE SYSTEM PROTECTED IT FROM IRAN'S DRONE AND
   MISSILE STRIKE 

 * ISRAEL: AIR DEFENSES SUCCESSFULLY BLOCKED ALMOST ALL OF 320 IRANIAN STRIKES

 * HAMAS REJECTS GAZA TRUCE PROPOSAL, ISRAEL SAYS

 * ISRAEL & PALESTINE: WEIGHING THE SOLUTIONS


THE DAY IN PHOTOS

 * APRIL 14, 2024



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