UNITED NATIONS: The top UN humanitarian official has accused Israel of blocking the delivery of desperately needed help to the Gaza Strip, and the US envoy demanded that its government step up efforts in order to tackle the Palestinian territory’s” catastrophic and intolerable humanitarian crisis.”
Acting humanitarian head Joyce Msuya and US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield have stepped up the pressure on Israel at an emergency meeting of the UNSC on the escalating humanitarian emergency, particularly in northern Gaza.
The council meeting was called by Algeria, the Arab representative on the council, followed a Washington warning to Israel to boost assistance efforts dramatically or risk losing funding for arms from its main supplier. The US government gave Israel 30 days to take a number of acts, including sending 350 trucks with food and other help into the Gaza Strip every day.
Earlier, the chief of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees on Wednesday warned of the risk of famine in Gaza as the territory faces critical shortages of food and humanitarian aid.
Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said there is a “real risk” that famine or acute malnutrition could soon affect Gaza’s population, particularly with winter approaching and immune systems already weakened.
“There is a real risk today… that we enter a situation where famine or acute malnutrition is unfortunately again a likelihood,” Lazzarini said.
Meanwhile, the US State Department said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had sent a joint letter to Israel, making it clear that more aid must reach the besieged territory. The letter emphasized that the current low levels of assistance were inadequate and that changes were urgently needed.
