The Ambassador of Algeria to Israel addressed the UN Security Council, stating that Israel is using starvation as a tool of war in Gaza. The people of Gaza are facing the difficult choice of perishing in bombings or enduring a slow death due to starvation. The ongoing attack on Gaza is seen as a collective punishment for the Palestinian civilian population, and the Ambassador urged the Council to demand a ceasefire to prevent further harm to the Palestinian people. The Ambassador emphasized the need for immediate action to prevent further suffering in Gaza.
The World Food Programme’s Deputy Executive Director, Carl Skau, warned of record levels of child malnutrition in Gaza, with one in every six children under the age of two being acutely malnourished. The Famine Review Committee has also warned of a real prospect of famine by May if immediate action is not taken. Skau emphasized the need for a ceasefire agreement to allow for the scaling up of food aid operations in Gaza. He highlighted the importance of a safe operating environment for humanitarian staff, as well as access to the port of Ashdod and the Karni crossing to ensure the delivery of humanitarian supplies.
Skau stressed the urgent need for a stable communications network and a working humanitarian notification system to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Without safe and expanded access, aid workers are unable to provide sufficient food supplies to those in need. Skau emphasized that basic services, such as health services, electricity networks, and water and sanitation pipelines, must also be restored to avert a famine in northern Gaza. The UNWRA is seen as the organization with the ability to oversee and manage vital infrastructure in Gaza, but without increased access, relief operations cannot be mounted at the necessary scale.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also highlighted the mass destruction of the food system in Gaza, leading to severe food shortages and malnutrition. The FAO called for urgent action to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire and increased access for humanitarian aid workers. The FAO stressed the importance of restoring basic services and infrastructure to prevent a famine from occurring in northern Gaza. Immediate action is required to prevent further suffering and starvation in Gaza.
Overall, the UN Security Council was briefed on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with record levels of child malnutrition and the threat of famine looming. The speakers emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire to allow for the scaling up of humanitarian operations and the restoration of basic services in Gaza. Without immediate action, the people of Gaza face the continued threat of starvation and suffering, highlighting the need for international intervention to prevent further harm to the civilian population.
