UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres said Tuesday at least 1.7 million people – 75 per cent of Gaza’s population have been displaced, many times over by Israel military attacks.
This came in his speech to “The Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza” conference in the Dead Sea, coorganised by Egypt, Jordan and the United Nations.
The secretary general said “8 months of relentless suffering for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the speed and scale of the carnage and killing in Gaza is beyond anything in my years as Secretary-General.”
Thank you for coming together for this urgent Call to Action for lifesaving relief to the people of Gaza that are under fire in the most dramatic circumstances.
It is now 8 months since the horrific Hamas terror attacks of 7 October and the abduction of Israeli men, women, and children to Gaza.
But 8 months of relentless suffering for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the speed and scale of the carnage and killing in Gaza is beyond anything in my years as Secretary-General.
Over 50,000 children require treatment for acute malnutrition, he said, adding “despite the ocean of needs, at least half of all humanitarian aid missions are denied access, impeded, or cancelled due to operational or security reasons.
On top of all this, since the attack on the Rafah border crossing one month ago, the flow of critical humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza – which was already woefully inadequate – has plummeted by two-thirds.
He thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, saying “I also want to commend your critical leadership and that of the government and people of Egypt — not only in supporting humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza in so many ways, but also for your pivotal role in seeking an end to this tragic conflict and building a foundation for sustainable peace.”
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