Stéphane Dujarric addressed journalists at the UN headquarters in New York one day after dozens of Palestinians were killed in search of food aid.
He said the Secretary -General deplored growing children and adults suffering from malnutrition and strongly condemned current violence, including shooting, murder and injury of people who are trying to have food.
Not a target
“” Civilians must be protected and respected, and they should never be targeted“Said Mr. Dujarric, noting that the population of Gaza remains seriously underemployed with the basic necessities of life.
He stressed that “Israel has the obligation to authorize and facilitate all means at its disposal the humanitarian recovery provided by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations.”
Dujarric said the Secretary -General noted that recent hostilities intensified while the humanitarian system in Gaza is hampered, mined and threatened.
New evacuation orders
He underlined a new evacuation order issued for certain parts of Deir al-Balah, which pushes people in more desperate conditions and arouses additional displacement, while restricting the capacity of the UN to provide aid.
He reported that two UN guest houses in Deir al-Balah had been struck, despite the informed parties of their location.
“They have suffered damage,” he said, answering the question of a journalist. “The UN staff inside was, to say the least, shaken. »»
Mr. Dujarric stressed that the UN intends to stay at Deir al-Balah.
Ceasefire now
The secretary general reiterated his urgent call for the protection of civilians, including humanitarian staff, and for the supply of essential resources to ensure their survival.
He again called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Dujarric said the UN was ready to considerably increase its humanitarian operations in Gaza, adding that “time for a ceasefire is now”.
People who die of malnutrition
In the midst of bombing, trips and destruction in progress in Gaza, humanitarian workers continue to receive reports from seriously malnutric persons arriving at medical points and healthy hospitals.
More than a dozen people, including children, have been hungry in the past 24 hours, according to the Gaza health agencies.
The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs Coordination (Ochha) Recalled that around 88% Gaza is now under travel orders or in travel areas.
Shelter and fuel
The Gaza population is around 2.1 million and approximately 1.35 million need shelters and household items. However, no shelter supply has been allowed to enter for more than four months.
The disastrous fuel crisis also continues, the humanitarian workers continuing to warn that the limited quantities that have been authorized to enter in recent days are hardly sufficient.
Traditional critical aid systems: UN official
Meanwhile, the new United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, Ramiz Alakbarov, met the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, Mohammad Mustafa, in Ramallah.
At a press conference, Dr. Alakbarov called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the unconditional hostage release and the lifting of all restrictions on access to people in Gaza.
He said he met immediate needs, humanitarian organizations must be able to use traditional aid delivery systems.
He noted that these systems are currently compromised by violence, including armed looting and recurring shootings in civilians asking for help. which, according to him, must be the subject of an independent investigation.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
