Senior UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Action and Reconstruction in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, was seen carrying a Palestinian child during her visit to a temporary camp for displaced Gazans in Mawasi Khan Yunis, located in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 15, 2024.
The leaders of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have privately urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assist in alleviating the suffering of numerous civilians in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Lebanon, according to a letter obtained by Reuters on Monday.
"Effective and meaningful humanitarian action is achievable with your political will and commitment," wrote UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain in the previously undisclosed letter dated October 11. Netanyahu's office did not respond promptly to a request for comment on the letter. UN data indicates that the amount of aid entering Gaza has dropped to its lowest level this year. Additionally, a global hunger monitor has issued a warning about an impending famine, and the UN has accused Israel of obstructing multiple attempts this month to deliver aid, particularly to the northern Gaza region.
Israel initiated a broad military offensive in northern Gaza earlier this month. The United States has stated that it is monitoring the situation to ensure that its ally's actions do not reflect a policy of starvation in the north. Israel has denied that there is a lack of aid in Gaza, instead accusing Hamas of diverting humanitarian assistance. Hamas has consistently refuted Israeli claims of stealing aid, blaming Israel for the shortages.
Russell and McCain appealed to Netanyahu, as prime minister, to ensure that the Israeli government fulfills its obligations and commitments to enable effective emergency relief operations and to safeguard the safety and security of UN staff and the civilians they serve. Their letter was sent shortly after the first anniversary of the deadly October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Palestinian militants Hamas, which triggered Israel's retaliatory actions in the besieged Gaza enclave, now described by UN officials as a humanitarian catastrophe.
The UN's appeal also came two days before the United States informed Israel that it must take steps within 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face potential restrictions on US military aid. Russell and McCain, both Americans appointed to their UN roles by President Joe Biden, outlined six areas where they sought "clear and concrete commitments" from Netanyahu. They requested the appointment of a "high-level focal point" to address the issues raised in their letter.
They urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint to protect civilians and critical civilian services. Additionally, they emphasized the need for unequivocal security assurances to ensure a safe operating environment, specifically streamlined operating procedures with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
Russell and McCain urgently called for an effective humanitarian notification system supported by the Israeli military, citing the success of using area-specific pauses in fighting to vaccinate children against polio in Gaza. They requested this approach be consistently applied to facilitate large-scale humanitarian action.
The UN is also addressing a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, where Israel has intensified its fight against Iran-aligned Hezbollah militants, conducting airstrikes in Beirut and launching a ground operation in southern Lebanon on October 1.
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