New York - Saba:
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that malnutrition in the Gaza Strip is on the rise and hunger is knocking on every door, noting that the world is witnessing the last gasp of a humanitarian system based on humanitarian principles.
In his briefing to the UN Security Council's high-level open debate on "Strengthening international peace and security through multilateralism and the peaceful settlement of disputes," late Tuesday evening, Guterres warned of widening geopolitical divisions and conflicts.
He pointed out that the cost is heavy, measured in human lives, devastated societies, and lost futures.
He added, "We need look no further than the horrific scene in Gaza, with its unprecedented level of death and destruction. Malnutrition is on the rise, and hunger is knocking on every door. Now, we are witnessing the last gasp of a humanitarian system based on humanitarian principles. With the intensification of Israeli military operations and the issuance of new displacement orders in Deir al-Balah, destruction is piling up."
The Secretary-General expressed his horror at the bombing of UN facilities in Gaza, including those of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and its warehouse. He noted that this bombing occurred despite all parties being informed of the locations of these UN facilities.
He explained that these facilities are inviolable and must be protected under international humanitarian law, without exception. He emphasized that the United Nations was founded 80 years ago to protect humanity from the scourge of war. The drafters of the UN Charter recognized that the peaceful resolution of disputes is a lifeline in situations where geopolitical tensions escalate, conflicts intensify, and states lose confidence in each other.
With American and European support, the Israeli enemy army has continued to commit genocidal crimes in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. This has resulted in the martyrdom of 59,106 Palestinian civilians, the majority of whom were children and women, and the injury of 142,511 others, as of yesterday, Tuesday, in a preliminary toll. Thousands of victims remain under the rubble and on the streets, unable to be reached by ambulances and rescue crews.
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