Under international humanitarian law parties to conflicts must protect civilians by OCHA, International Committee of the Red Cross   Apr. 2025   UN Security Council: "World getting more dangerous for civilians on your watch"   Briefing to the United Nations Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator. (Extract)   "My two asks today of the Security Council and, indeed, the wider international community go beyond Ukraine alone.   Firstly, I must reiterate that under the international humanitarian law that this Council is here to defend, parties to conflicts must protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Indiscriminate attacks on them are strictly prohibited:   There must be limits to how war is waged. At its best, this Council, and the Member States here, have upheld that idea – even wars have rules. Is that not why we are here?   And yet, on my visits from Ukraine to Gaza to Sudan to Lebanon to Myanmar – from where I returned yesterday – I am seeing the opposite: that not only are we not standing robustly for international law, but in some cases we are supporting its debasement.   That's the common thread that links these conflicts. And if your principles apply only to your opponents, they are not humanitarian principles.   The world is getting more dangerous for civilians, on our watch. Please, you can do more to ensure that this era of increasingly belligerent, transactional, self-defeating nationalism is not also remembered as one of callous impunity and brutal indifference, in which the rights of civilians are discarded again and again with a shrug.   If we do not make our stand on this point, consistently and unequivocally, then what do we stand for anymore? And how can we expect anyone to listen to us, or hope that others will make better choices in the future?   My second ask, is the funding to save lives in an increasingly dangerous environment, and this era of savage cuts. If you cannot stop the attacks on civilians – in Ukraine and elsewhere – please, at least give us the security and resources to save as many survivors as we can".   http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-warns-security-council-protection-civilians-unraveling-amid-global-inaction   NGO Statement Ahead of the Open Debate on Protection of Civilians:   One year after the UN Secretary-General outlined the “resoundingly grim” state of civilian protection, the situation continues to deteriorate. 21 NGOs call for urgent action by the UN Security Council and UN Member States to strengthen accountability and ensure robust implementation of protection mandates.   Civilians living in conflict zones today are in more danger than ever before. The UN recorded a 72% increase in civilian deaths in armed conflict between 2022 and 2023, with the proportion of women and children killed doubling and tripling respectively. Over 473 million children — more than 1 in 6 globally — now live in areas affected by conflict. In 2023, UN-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence, the majority against women and girls, increased by 50 per cent compared with 2022.   Intersecting and multidimensional vulnerabilities are also compounded for marginalised groups. Those who survive are often injured, displaced, and frequently cut off from their communities and support networks. As a result they can become reliant on humanitarian aid for services such as healthcare, water, electricity, and education for years or even decades.   The use of explosive weapons in populated areas continues to have a devastating effect on civilians, causing both immediate harm and long-lasting cumulative and reverberating impacts. These attacks are often fuelled by third party arms transfers. The resultant patterns of harm not only deepen humanitarian need, but also undermine the foundations for sustainable peace.   When civilian infrastructure and the natural environment are destroyed and social cohesion fractured, the road to recovery is steeper and longer, impeding justice and increasing the risk of renewed violence.   Parties to conflict are, in many cases, intentionally undermining the international norms and standards designed to protect civilians from the conduct of war and are deliberately violating International Humanitarian Law (IHL), eroding even the bare minimum of protections owed to civilians.   Of particular concern is the speed with which States are backsliding on their commitments to protect — and ensure the protection of — civilians. Consequently, the deliberate targeting of civilians is becoming a tool of warfare, further fuelling a culture of impunity.   The humanitarian consequences are staggering. 305.1 million people are in humanitarian need, a number that has quadrupled in the past decade, primarily driven by conflict. 123 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, double the figure from 2015, and 281.6 million people are experiencing crisis or worse of food insecurity (IPC 3+).   While these statistics are unfathomably high, each number represents an individual — a farmer who has lost access to their livelihood and is struggling to feed their family, an elderly person displaced multiple times and living in a camp, a child not able to go to school.   Across the world, humanitarian actors and civil society are working relentlessly to respond to the escalating needs of conflict-affected populations, while facing growing risk of harm and operational constraints. Local actors, including women-led organisations, face the greatest risk.   Across the board, resources are being slashed or politicized, further intensifying the level of risk borne by local actors. Amid this dire reality, civilians themselves are seeking to hold their communities together under immense strain and standing firm in their calls for peace and justice. They need the international community to not just bear witness, but to act.   The 2025 UNSC Open Debate must confront this truth: there is no shortage of tools to protect civilians, but there is a shortage of political will to use them equally and follow through with practical implementation and accountability.   From legal instruments and policies, early warning mechanisms, civilian harm tracking, and civilian-military dialogues to sanctions, independent investigations, and accountability and remedy mechanisms — these tools are too often sidelined and ignored rather than being leveraged, supported, prioritised, and fully integrated.   Diplomacy is failing. At the United Nations Security Council the most powerful countries in the world are making ineffective the body charged with ensuring international peace and security. In the past 10 years, the permanent members used their powers to veto resolutions at least 36 times. 2024 saw the fewest UNSC resolutions adopted since 1991 and the highest number of draft resolutions failed due to veto since 1986.   The UN turns 80 this year. Instead of retreat there must be renewed urgency in support of — and commitment to — multilateralism, the UN Charter, and the international rules-based order, with the protection of civilians at its core.   Impunity feeds on itself. In the absence of real accountability for harm caused and the just and equitable application of international law and standards at all times and in all places, this dangerous cycle characterized by compounding harms and prolonged suffering will continue.   http://www.unocha.org/news/world-getting-more-dangerous-civilians-your-watch-un-relief-chief-tells-security-council http://reliefweb.int/report/world/2025-ngo-statement-ahead-open-debate-protection-civilians http://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/speech/2025/05/speech-there-is-no-pathway-to-peace-that-does-not-begin-with-the-protection-of-women-and-girls http://www.unicef.org/topics/armed-conflict http://www.unicef.org/children-under-attack http://data.stopwaronchildren.org   http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/04/hundreds-killed-rsf-attacks-sudans-north-darfur http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162196 http://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250411-un-finds-36-israeli-strikes-on-gaza-killed-only-women-and-children http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/atrocity-alert-no-440/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/atrocity-alert-no-435/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/comment-un-human-rights-office-spokesperson-ravina-shamdasani-continued   http://reliefweb.int/report/world/tools-protection-upholding-object-and-purpose-international-humanitarian-law-protecting-civilian-infrastructure-and-hospitals-side-event-during-poc-week-2025-friday-23-may-830-1000 http://reliefweb.int/report/world/epidemic-violence-violence-against-health-care-conflict-2024 http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/south-sudan/un-deplores-air-strike-hospital-south-sudan http://www.msf.org/msf-condemns-bombing-our-hospital-south-sudan http://www.msf.org/attacks-medical-care http://www.who.int/activities/stopping-attacks-on-health-care http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/open-letter-member-states-un-general-assembly-behalf-iasc-principals http://www.hhrjournal.org/2024/06/07/drone-attacks-on-health-in-2023-international-humanitarian-law-and-the-right-to-health/ http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01115-7/fulltext   http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2025-05/protection-of-civilians-8.php http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/protection-of-civilians/ http://civiliansinconflict.org/press-releases/civic-launches-first-protection-of-civilians-trends-report-and-civilian-protection-index/ http://www.civilianprotectiontrends.org/index.html http://civiliansinconflict.org/blog/there-is-no-safe-place-for-civilians-in-conflict-qa-with-hichem-khadhraoui/ http://civiliansinconflict.org/remarks/civic-executive-director-addresses-unsc-open-debate-on-protection-of-civilians-in-armed-conflict http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/05/14/un-security-council-should-commit-people-disabilities http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/world/ocha-message-international-humanitarian-law http://www.unocha.org/humanitarian-access http://www.unocha.org/protection-civilians   * Protection of civilians in armed conflict - Report of the Secretary-General (May 2025): http://docs.un.org/en/S/2025/271   Mar. 2025   Speech given by Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council. (Extract)   "Today violations that were once considered abhorrent have, disturbingly, become normalized in conflicts around the world.   I stand before you to remind us of an undeniable truth: Every patient killed in a hospital bed, Every family buried under the rubble of their home, Every hostage stolen from their loved ones, Every prisoner tortured and deprived of basic dignity, Every city levelled, and every village destroyed – These are not unfortunate realities of war. They are a betrayal.   We must not become numb to that fact, or we risk sleepwalking into a world where the barriers that once restrained brutality in war are removed. The scale of the suffering we witness is not inevitable. It is the direct result of dismissive interpretations of international humanitarian law.   People have the power to change course, but it will require courage and leadership to move past divisions and recommit to the fundamental belief that human life must transcend political divides – both in war and in peacetime.   Together, international humanitarian law and international human rights law share a common goal: to protect human life, health, and dignity, no matter what country you were born in or what side of the front line you live on.   These bodies of law are mutually reinforcing. They need one another. The erosion of respect for one contributes to the erosion of the other.   In war, how can the right to health be fulfilled if hospitals are bombed? How can the right to food prevent hunger if crops are destroyed? How can children see their right to education come true if schools are attacked?   There is no right to life when civilians, and the infrastructure they rely on for survival, are systematically targeted. International humanitarian law exists to protect them in times of war.   The way wars are fought today will inform the way they are fought tomorrow. Where basic humanitarian rules are violated, rebuilding costs skyrocket, and new security threats fester.   We can choose a different path, one that promotes life, stability, and prosperity. This starts with committing to international humanitarian law and making it a political priority."   International humanitarian law (IHL) is a set of rules that seeks, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects persons (civilians) who are not participating in hostilities, and imposes limits on the means and methods of warfare.   IHL is also known as “the law of armed conflict”. IHL is part of public international law, which is made up primarily of treaties, customary international law and general principles of law. The four Geneva Conventions of 1949 (GC I, II, III and IV), which have been universally acceded to or ratified, constitute the core treaties of IHL.   IHL applies equally to all sides, regardless of who started the fighting and regardless of motives.   Persons (civilians) protected by IHL are entitled to respect for their lives, their dignity, and their physical and mental integrity. They are also afforded various legal guarantees. They must be treated humanely in all circumstances, with no adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion, faith, sex, birth, wealth, or any other similar criteria.   It is forbidden to murder them, or to subject them to torture. The wounded and the sick must be collected and cared for. In order to ensure the performance of these medical activities, medical personnel, units and transports must be respected and protected.   Access to humanitarian assistance for the civilian population affected by the conflict must be allowed and facilitated. Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is specifically prohibited under IHL.   Under IHL, humanitarian personnel and objects must be respected and protected. Prioritized measures must be afforded to certain groups of people, including children, women or persons with disabilities, this means they must be afforded specific respect and protection.   Restrictions on the means of warfare and the methods of warfare.   The right of parties to a conflict to choose means or methods of warfare is not unlimited. Restrictions apply to the type of weapons used, the way they are used and the general conduct of all those engaged in the armed conflict. In addition, IHL prohibits the use of means and methods of warfare that are of a nature to cause injury or unnecessary suffering.   IHL regulates the conduct of hostilities on the basis of three core principles: distinction, proportionality and precaution.   The principle of distinction requires that the parties to an armed conflict distinguish at all times between civilians and civilian objects on the one hand, and combatants and military objectives on the other, and that attacks may only be directed against combatants and military objectives.   The purpose of this is to protect civilians, civilian property and the civilian population as a whole. Direct attacks against civilians or civilian objects and indiscriminate attacks – that is, attacks that strike military objectives and civilians or civilian objects without distinction – are prohibited.   The principle of proportionality, a corollary to the principle of distinction, dictates that, when attacking a military objective, loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, must not be excessive in relation to the military advantage anticipated. This principle requires parties to anticipate the harm that might be caused directly by an attack and the indirect (i.e. reverberating) effects.   The principle of precaution requires parties to an armed conflict to take constant care to spare the civilian population, civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of all military operations. The principle also requires parties to a conflict to take a range of precautions in attack and a range of precautions against the effects of attacks to protect civilians and civilian objects.   With respect to precautions in attack, all feasible precautions must be taken to avoid or at least minimize civilian harm. Among others, this includes measures to verify that targets are military objectives and to give the civilian population an effective warning before the attack.   It can also entail restrictions on the location of an attack, as well as the weapons or tactics employed. At the same time, parties to an armed conflict must, to the maximum extent feasible, take necessary precautions to protect the civilian population and civilian objects against the effects of attacks. For example, it may include evacuating civilians from, or at least allowing them to leave, a besieged area where hostilities are taking place.   The rules on the conduct of hostilities also grant specific protection to objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population (including agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops or drinking water installations), and works and installations containing dangerous forces (dams, nuclear electrical generating stations..). The use of means and methods of warfare that are intended, or may be expected, to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment are also prohibited.   The implementation of IHL is primarily the responsibility of states. They must respect and ensure respect for these rules in all circumstances (Article 1 common to the four Geneva Conventions). States must adopt legislation and regulations aimed at ensuring full compliance with IHL.   They must enact laws to provide effective penal sanctions for the most serious violations of the Geneva Conventions – the so-called “grave breaches” – violations that amount to war crimes.   The 1998 Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) established the Court’s jurisdiction to prosecute the most serious crimes of international concern, including war crimes (Article 8). By virtue of the principle of complementarity, its jurisdiction is intended to come into play only when a state is genuinely unable or unwilling to prosecute alleged war criminals over which that state has jurisdiction.   http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/icrc-president-un-security-council-protection-civilians-armed-conflict http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/icrc-president-mirjana-spoljaric-58th-session-human-rights-council http://www.icrc.org/en/rulesofwar http://www.icrc.org/en/law-and-policy/respect-ihl http://blogs.icrc.org/law-and-policy/2025/02/06/a-call-to-make-international-humanitarian-law-a-political-priority/ http://www.icrc.org/en/global-initiative-international-humanitarian-law http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k12/k12ajz5mw5 http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/populations-at-risk-march-2025/ Visit the related web page
	Renewed fighting in Gaza: Civilians must be protected. The denial of lifesaving aid must end by UNICEF, World Food Programme, OHCA, agencies   May 2025   Gaza Strip: IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Special Snapshot | April - September 2025   Nineteen months into the conflict, the Gaza Strip is still confronted with a critical risk of Famine. Over 60 days have passed since all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies were blocked from entering the territory. Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks. The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with half a million people (one in five) facing starvation.   From 11 May to the end of September 2025, the whole territory is classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), with the entire population expected to face Crisis or worse acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above).   This includes 470,000 people (22 percent of the population) in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), over a million people (54 percent) in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and the remaining half million (24 percent) in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).   This marks a significant deterioration compared to the previous IPC analysis (released in October 2024) and the already dire conditions detected between 1 April - 10 May 2025. During this time, 1.95 million people (93 percent) were classified in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above), including 244,000 people (12 percent) in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) and 925,000 (44 percent) in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).   Between 1 April and 10 May, acute malnutrition (AMN) was at Alert and Serious levels (IPC AMN Phase 2 and 3). However, experience has shown that acute malnutrition can worsen rapidly, and latest data indicate a deteriorating trend that is expected to persist. Consequently, acute malnutrition in North Gaza, Gaza and Rafah governorates will likely reach Critical levels (IPC AMN Phase 4) between 11 May and end of September.   Between mid-January and mid-March 2025, the ceasefire allowed a temporary alleviation of acute food insecurity and malnutrition conditions in parts of the Gaza Strip. However, the ongoing blockade imposed in early March reversed the situation. Since 18 March, the escalating conflict has displaced over 430,000 people, further disrupted access to humanitarian assistance, markets, health, water and sanitation services, and caused additional damage to remaining essential infrastructure.   All 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) closed at the beginning of April due to lack of supplies, and food stocks for most of the 177 hot meal kitchens are reportedly exhausted.   All preventive nutrition supplies have run out in UNICEF and WFP warehouses. Food prices are soaring daily, with wheat flour ranging from USD $235 per 25 kg in Deir al-Balah to USD $520 in Gaza and Khan Younis - a 3,000 percent increase since February 2025. Latest data show many households resorting to extreme coping strategies. A third reported collecting garbage to sell for food, while a quarter indicated that no valuable garbage remains. Observations reveal that social order is breaking down.   The plan announced on 5 May by Israeli authorities for delivering food and non-food items across the governorates is estimated to be highly insufficient to meet the population’s essential needs for food, water, shelter and medicine.   Moreover, the proposed distribution mechanisms are likely to create significant access barriers for large segments of the population. In light of the announced large-scale military operation across the Gaza Strip and the persistent inability of humanitarian agencies to deliver essential goods and services, there is a high risk that Famine (IPC Phase 5) will occur in the projection period (11 May – 30 September). The latest announcements suggest that this worst-case scenario is becoming more likely.   Immediate action is essential to prevent further deaths, starvation and acute malnutrition, and a descent into Famine. This entails ending hostilities, ensuring unrestricted humanitarian access, restoring essential services and commercial flows, and providing sufficient lifesaving assistance to all in need.   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-124/en/ http://www.wfp.org/news/risk-famine-across-all-gaza-new-report-says http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-calls-security-council-act-decisively-prevent-genocide-gaza http://www.who.int/news/item/12-05-2025-people-in-gaza-starving--sick-and-dying-as-aid-blockade-continues   http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/joint-donor-statement-humanitarian-aid-gaza http://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-from-the-leaders-of-the-united-kingdom-france-and-canada-on-the-situation-in-gaza-and-the-west-bank http://www.unocha.org/news/briefing-note-un-coordinated-plan-resume-humanitarian-aid-deliveries-gaza http://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0lc9xhy http://theelders.org/news/elders-call-collective-action-governments-end-palestinian-suffering-gaza http://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2025/05/un-women-estimates-over-28000-women-and-girls-killed-in-gaza-since-october-2023 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/turk-deplores-gaza-escalation-pleads-global-action-stop-more-killings   http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/bond-responds-uk-france-canada-statement-and-joint-donor-statement-gaza http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/oxfam-reaction-announcement-israel-will-allow-limited-amount-aid-gaza http://cafod.org.uk/news/media/press-releases/gaza-food-supplies http://actionagainsthunger.ca/story/avert-humanitarian-catastrophe-gaza/   2 May 2025   UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the situation for children in the Gaza Strip after two months of aid blockade:   “For two months, children in the Gaza Strip have faced relentless bombardments while being deprived of essential goods, services and lifesaving care. With each passing day of the aid blockade, they face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death – nothing can justify this.   “Families are struggling to survive. They are trapped, unable to flee in search of safety. The land they used to farm has been destroyed. The sea they used for fishing has been restricted. Bakeries are closing, water production is declining, and market shelves are almost bare. Humanitarian aid has provided the only lifeline for children, and now it is close to running out.   “In the past month, over 75 per cent of households have reported deteriorating access to water – they don’t have enough water to drink, are unable to wash their hands when needed, and often forced to choose between showering, cleaning, and cooking.   “Vaccines are quickly running out and diseases are spreading – especially acute watery diarrhoea, which now accounts for 1 in every 4 cases of disease recorded in Gaza. Most of these cases are among children under five, for whom it is life-threatening.   “Malnutrition is also on the rise. More than 9,000 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year. Hundreds more children in desperate need of treatment are not able to access it due to the insecurity and displacement.   “International humanitarian law requires authorities to ensure that the population under their control is treated humanely. This not only includes ensuring that civilians have the food, medicine, and essential supplies they need, but also ensuring sufficient hygiene and public health standards. All parties to the conflict must allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance. And they must allow and facilitate all relevant UN entities to carry out those activities for the benefit of the local population.   “UNICEF remains in the Gaza Strip, doing what we can to support and protect children. But the aid blockade and more than 18 months of war are pushing Gaza’s children to the brink. We reiterate our call for the aid blockade to be lifted, for the entry of commercial goods into Gaza, for the release of the hostages, and for the protection of all children.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-situation-children-gaza-strip http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-124/en/ http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/humanitarian-situation-update-286-gaza-strip http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/gaza-un-anti-racism-committee-decries-halt-food-aid-urges-immediate http://www.ohchr.org/en/media-centre/news-situation-occupied-palestinian-territory-israel-and-lebanon   25 Apr. 2025   WFP runs out of food stocks in Gaza as border crossings remain closed.   The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has depleted all its food stocks for families in Gaza.   Today, WFP delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meals kitchens in the Gaza Strip. These kitchens are expected to fully run out of food in the coming days. For weeks, hot meal kitchens have been the only consistent source of food assistance for people in Gaza. Despite reaching just half the population with only 25 percent of daily food needs, they have provided a critical lifeline.   WFP has also supported bakeries to distribute affordable bread in Gaza. On March 31, all 25 WFP-supported bakeries closed as wheat flour and cooking fuel ran out. The same week, WFP food parcels distributed to families – with two weeks of food rations – were exhausted. WFP is also deeply concerned about the severe lack of safe water and fuel for cooking – forcing people to scavenge for items to burn to cook a meal.   No humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered Gaza for more than seven weeks as all main border crossing points remain closed. This is the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced, exacerbating already fragile markets and food systems. Food prices have skyrocketed up to 1,400 percent compared to during the ceasefire, and essential food commodities are in short supply raising serious nutrition concerns for vulnerable populations, including children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly.   More than 116,000 metric tons of food assistance – enough to feed one million people for up to four months – is positioned at aid corridors and is ready to be brought into Gaza by WFP and food security partners as soon as borders reopen.   The situation inside the Gaza Strip has once again reached a breaking point: people are running out of ways to cope, and the fragile gains made during the short ceasefire have unravelled. Without urgent action to open borders for aid and trade to enter, WFP’s critical assistance may be forced to end.   WFP urges all parties to prioritize the needs of civilians and allow aid to enter Gaza immediately and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-runs-out-food-stocks-gaza-border-crossings-remain-closed http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162651 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162656 http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/turk-calls-world-prevent-total-humanitarian-catastrophe-gaza-enar http://uk.ambafrance.org/France-condemns-Israeli-strikes-on-Gaza-Strip-and-calls-for-resumption-of http://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2025/05/105900/gaza-worst-case-scenario-unfolds-brutal-aid-blockade-threatens-mass http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/israel-and-occupied-territories-after-two-months-aid-blockage-humanitarian-response-verge-collapse http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/israels-new-ingo-registration-measures-are-grave-threat-humanitarian-operations http://www.ochaopt.org/content/statement-humanitarian-country-team-occupied-palestinian-territory-principled-aid-delivery-gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-calls-end-gaza-blockade-says-aid-must-never-be-bargaining-chip http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza http://reliefweb.int/country/pse   7 Apr. 2025   World must act with urgency to save Palestinians in Gaza   (Statement by heads of OCHA, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNRWA, WFP, WHO and IOM)   "For over a month, no commercial or humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza. More than 2.1 million people are trapped, bombed and starved again, while, at crossing points, food, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies are piling up, and vital equipment is stuck.   Over 1,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured in just the first week after the breakdown of the ceasefire, the highest one-week death toll among children in Gaza in the past year.   Just a few days ago, the 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme during the ceasefire had to close due to flour and cooking gas shortages.   The partially functional health system is overwhelmed. Essential medical and trauma supplies are rapidly running out, threatening to reverse hard-won progress in keeping the health system operational.   The latest ceasefire allowed us to achieve in 60 days what bombs, obstruction and lootings prevented us from doing in 470 days of war: life-saving supplies reaching nearly every part of Gaza.   While this offered a short respite, assertions that there is now enough food to feed all Palestinians in Gaza are far from the reality on the ground, and commodities are running extremely low.   We are witnessing acts of war in Gaza that show an utter disregard for human life. New Israeli displacement orders have forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee yet again, with no safe place to go.   No one is safe. At least 408 humanitarian workers, including over 280 from UNRWA, have been killed since October 2023. With the tightened Israeli blockade on Gaza now in its second month, we appeal to world leaders to act – firmly, urgently and decisively – to ensure the basic principles of international humanitarian law are upheld.   Protect civilians. Facilitate aid. Release hostages. Renew a ceasefire.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/world-must-act-urgency-save-palestinians-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-million-children-gaza-strip-deprived-lifesaving-aid-over-one-month http://www.ochaopt.org/content/secretary-general-remarks-press-gaza http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1161951 http://www.wfp.org/news/hunger-looms-again-gaza-wfp-food-stocks-begin-run-out   24 Mar. 2025   OCHA reports that as hostilities continue across the Gaza Strip, the Israeli closure of all crossings for incoming cargo has entered its 20th day – the longest such shutdown since 7 October 2023.   This latest closure is having a devastating impact on people already facing catastrophic conditions. Each passing day further erodes the progress made by the UN and its humanitarian partners in the six weeks after the ceasefire.   Beyond the depletion of stocks, OCHA warns that humanitarian operations are now being severely hampered by hostilities. Civilians, including aid workers, and civilian assets have come under attack.   The UN is seeking concrete assurances for the safety of its staff and operations in Gaza, following the killing of six UN personnel and injury of several others this week, including in the attack on a clearly designated UN compound.   UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, “All parties to the conflict are bound by international law to protect the absolute inviolability of UN premises, without this, our colleagues face intolerable risks as they work to save the lives of civilians ”.   Mr. Dujarric said the UN Secretary-General is demanding a full, thorough and independent investigation into Wednesday’s deadly strike. "The Secretary-General strongly condemns these strikes and demands a full, thorough and independent investigation on this incident. All parties must comply fully with international law at all times. Civilians must be respected and protected. The denial of lifesaving aid must end. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally”.   As attacks continue across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip, OCHA warns that the steady flow of trauma injuries is putting even more pressure on an already shattered healthcare system. UN humanitarians have described deadly attacks hitting health workers, ambulances and hospitals.   Relief chief Tom Fletcher reported that he was continuing to receive horrific reports from Gaza of more health workers, ambulances and hospitals attacked as they try to save survivors. Mr. Fletcher said under international humanitarian law hospitals and medics must never be targeted.   Senior UN humanitarian in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jonathan Whittall, said that hundreds of children and adults have been killed since the ceasefire broke down between Hamas and Israel.   "183 children among the hundreds and hundreds of people killed — that number should shock the world, it should prompt action," UNICEF's Rosalia Bollen told the reporters. She said the toll on Palestinian children who have so far survived the strikes was serious.   "It's even more nerve wracking for children who've been through 15 long months of relentless bombings and very toxic stress, and now all of that trauma is rapidly being reactivated," Ms Bollen said.   "The kids that I've been speaking to these past six months, they frequently talk about death — they say that they're afraid of dying, they're very afraid that their parents die and that they'll be on their own."   Humanitarian partners estimate that more than 120,000 Palestinians – about 6 per cent of the surviving population in Gaza – have been displaced once again this week, driven by intensified attacks and new Israeli evacuation orders across the Strip.   “Families carry what little they have with no shelter, no safety, and nowhere left to go; the Israeli authorities have cut off all aid,” UNRWA said in a statement – warning that food is scarce as the Israeli blockade continues.   Gaza health officilas reported that over 50,000 people have been killed and over 110,000 injured during the conflict, with the majority being women and children.   http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-urges-international-action-protect-civilians-gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-sudan-haiti-ukraine http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-322-children-reportedly-killed-gaza-strip-following-breakdown-ceasefire http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/statement-commissioner-lahbib-attacks-health-personnel-hospitals-and-aid-workers-gaza-0 http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/ifrc-condemns-killing-eight-palestine-red-crescent-medics-gaza http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/press-briefing-un-women-collapse-gaza-ceasefire-and-its-devastating-impact-women-and-girls http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/palestine-end-of-ceasefire-and-blockade-in-gaza   18 Mar. 2025   Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the attacks in Gaza:   “Reports and images emerging from the Gaza Strip following today’s attacks are beyond horrifying. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed, including more than 130 children, representing one of the largest single-day child death toll in the last year.   “Some of the strikes reportedly hit makeshift shelters with sleeping children and families, another deadly reminder that nowhere is safe in Gaza.   “The latest attacks come as lifesaving aid remains blocked from entering Gaza, compounding the risks to children.. Today, Gaza’s one million children – who have endured more than 15 months of war – have been plunged back into a world of fear and death. The attacks and the violence must stop – now.   “We urge all parties to immediately reinstate the ceasefire, and we call on countries with influence to use their leverage to ensure the situation does not further deteriorate. International humanitarian law must be respected by all parties, allowing the immediate provision of humanitarian aid, the protection of civilians, and the release of all hostages.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-attacks-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/palestinian-children-remain-deprived-most-essential-supplies-and-services http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161246 http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/renewed-airstrikes-gaza-un-relief-chief-urges-restoration-ceasefire http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/gaza-renewed-bombardment-humanitarian-freefall http://reliefweb.int/country/pse http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/comment-un-human-rights-chief-volker-turk-israeli-airstrikes-gaza http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-warns-worsening-humanitarian-crisis-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/stoppage-humanitarian-aid-deliveries-gaza-strip-unicef-warns-severe-consequences http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/statement-without-access-aid-gaza-strip-peoples-lives-are-knife-edge-once-again http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/march/suspension-of-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-will-lead-to-more-suffering   21 Jan. 2025   Aid is entering Gaza in line with the ceasefire agreement that has seen Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners released and families reunited, but massive needs remain across the devastated enclave. (UN News)   On day three of the ceasefire which entered into force on Sunday 19 January, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, welcomed the “surge” in lifesaving humanitarian assistance into the enclave, after 15 months of devastating conflict.   More than 900 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, as the truce held between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, according to the ceasefire’s guarantors. While the conflict raged, prompted by Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, the aid lifeline to Gaza dwindled to as little as 50 trucks per day.   “At long last, aid at scale is entering,” said Mr. Laerke. “At long last, more hostages were released and can be reunited with their families and at long last, women and minors were freed from detention..”   Immediate priorities include “getting food in, opening bakeries, getting healthcare, restocking hospitals, repairing water networks, repairing shelter, family reunification,” the OCHA spokesperson told journalists. “A lot of the things that we have done throughout, but nowhere near at the scale needed. And that is what we hope and work towards to be able to do now.”   UN humanitarians have long maintained that the entire population of Gaza – more than two million people – depends on such essentials. They include children, who account for about half of the Strip’s population, “with many surviving on just one meal a day”, said OCHA.   “We have to – and we will – maximize delivery through this opening. Hunger is widespread, people are homeless; disease, injuries are rampant. Children are separated that needs to be dealt with.”   Urgent health needs must also be addressed across Gaza where one in two hospitals are not functional, others are only partially functional and the majority of health facilities have sustained damage, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).   “The idea is as quickly as possible to try to provide health facilities to people of Gaza, focusing on emergency care, maternal and child health and other areas,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.   “We've been talking to 25,000 people who have sustained life changing injuries. These people need rehabilitation services that are not available right now.”   UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said; “With the ceasefire in place, displaced Palestinians have been making their way back home, with many returning to find mountains of rubble”. He added that over 90 per cent of housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past 15 months.   “Given the scale of destruction and needs in Gaza, we are working to get vital aid to people as fast as humanly possible. We also urge Member States and partners to ensure that our aid operations are fully funded to meet the overwhelming needs”.   The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) underscored that it remains committed to staying in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and providing vital assistance and services to people in need.   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-deputy-executive-director-calls-urgent-action-rebuild-gaza-after-visit http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza http://news.un.org/en/audio/2025/02/1160166 http://news.un.org/en/audio/2025/01/1159226 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159351 http://palestine.un.org/en/289328-mass-displacement-palestinians-northern-west-bank-source-growing-concern http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/escalation-west-bank-violations-surge-amid-fragile-ceasefire-gaza http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements   19 Jan. 2025   Hunger in Gaza: First aid trucks roll in as ceasefire takes effect - World Food Programme   World Food Programme (WFP) trucks have started crossing into Gaza after the ceasefire came into effect. WFP aims to get at least 150 trucks into Gaza daily if conditions allow. This is a critical moment for the international community to reach desperate and hungry families in Gaza at scale. But a ceasefire is only the start.   WFP welcomes the agreed ceasefire announced Wednesday (15 January). We emphasize that this is only the start – not the end – of what’s needed to reach desperate and hungry families in Gaza. WFP calls on all parties to do what is in their power to halt any further fighting and ensure safe humanitarian access - the war has left more than 2 million people fully dependent on food assistance, homeless, and without any income.   The needs in Gaza are immense. Recovery will require a full-scale humanitarian response with all agencies coming together, including UNRWA, to provide lifesaving assistance to 2 million people.   WFP has enough food pre-positioned along the borders and on its way to Gaza to feed over a million people for three months. UNRWA has enough supplies to support another million. For WFP, this includes food parcels, wheat flour, commodities for hot meals, and nutrition supplements.   To make a meaningful impact on the food security of people in Gaza, WFP needs the international community to scale up funding.   WFP can send around 1,600 trucks of food (30,200 tons) each month to facilitate distributions for over 1 million people. In order to reach everyone in need, UNRWA’s support is critical. WFP is committed to bolstering UNRWA’s food assistance delivery efforts.   All parties need to ensure the safe passage of aid and humanitarian staff across Gaza. Commercial flows to Gaza need to be restored and cash liquidity accessible for the population so they can buy fresh food and other basic necessities. Ceasefire conditions must be respected.   WFP’s goal is to provide immediate food aid, re-stock bakeries, and provide nutrition supplements for children. To reach people and make a meaningful impact, WFP also urgently need the international community’s support with funding, so we that can increase capacity and sustain our humanitarian staffing.   Barely any food has gone into besieged North Gaza for more than two months. Winter cold and rain are further reducing people’s ability to survive.   Food security in Gaza has been worsening, with people becoming weaker by the day; there is almost no fresh food (fruit, vegetables, meat, fish), shops are empty, bakeries have been unable to operate, lacking fuel, flour or both.   The humanitarian response in Gaza has faced continuing challenges and setbacks. The disregard for international humanitarian principles has placed humanitarian staff, operations, and the people of Gaza at increasing risk.   WFP and humanitarian partners call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and allow for the safe passage of aid.   http://www.wfp.org/stories/hunger-gaza-first-aid-trucks-roll-ceasefire-takes-effect http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/secretary-general-urges-parties-make-good-gaza-deal-calls-release-all-hostages-permanent-ceasefire http://www.reuters.com/pictures/what-gaza-looks-like-today-after-15-months-war-2025-01-21/ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/15/the-devastating-impact-of-15-months-of-war-on-gaza http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8x00mgjxmo   15 Jan. 2025   Gaza ceasefire deal agreed by Israel and Hamas, Qatar and US say. (News agencies)   Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire and partial hostage release deal following 15 months of war, mediators Qatar and the US say.   Many Palestinians and Israeli hostages' families celebrated the news, but there was no let up in the war on the ground in Gaza.   Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel says 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead.   More than 46,700 people have been killed in Gaza and over 106,000 injured since the start of the conflict, according to the territory's health ministry. Most of the 2.3 million population has been displaced multiple times, there is widespread destruction, and severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.   The first six-week phase of the ceasefire deal, which he said would see Israeli 33 hostages - including women, children and elderly people - exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.   Israeli forces will also withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes and hundreds of aid lorries will be allowed into the territory each day to meet the desperate needs of the population.   The big challenge is making sure the ceasefire holds. Senior diplomats fear that after the first phase of 42 days the war could resume. It is also not known whether Israel will agree to completely pull out of Gaza, or whether its presence there will be open-ended.   http://www.unocha.org/news/gaza-ceasefire-offers-hope-stakes-remain-high-says-un-relief-chief http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159031 http://press.un.org/en/2025/sgsm22523.doc.htm http://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-russell-announcement-ceasefire-gaza http://www.savethechildren.net/news/gaza-any-pause-must-become-definitive-ceasefire-protect-children-and-allow-life-saving http://www.wfp.org/stories/gaza-ceasefire-wfp-calls-sustained-opening-humanitarian-corridors http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/01/un-human-rights-chief-relieved-gaza-ceasefire-urges-prompt-implementation http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/icrc-president-icrc-ready-help-implement-agreement-reached-parties-and-bring-hostages   http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/january/gaza-ceasefire-must-lead-to-lasting-truce-and-trigger-massive-aid-expansion http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/gaza-ceasefire-must-propel-humanitarian-action http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/as-ceasefire-in-gaza-is-declared-action-against-hunger-calls-for-increased-humanitarian-aid/ http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/gaza-ceasefire-465-days-and-46000-lives-too-late http://www.bond.org.uk/news/2025/02/there-is-nothing-left-standing-in-gaza-life-expectancy-halved/ http://www.care-international.org/news/long-awaited-gaza-ceasefire-must-end-bloodshed-ushers-hope-scaled-assistance http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/gaza-ceasefire-does-nothing-tackle-root-causes-conflict-says-christian-aid http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/oxfam-welcomes-gaza-ceasefire-and-calls-massive-influx-aid http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/15/gaza-ceasefire-action-needed-end-atrocities   26 Dec. 2024   Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder on continued deaths of children in Gaza:   “In the final days of the year, there seems to be no end in sight to the deadly threats to children in Gaza. Over the past three days, at least eleven children have reportedly been killed in attacks. Now, we are also witnessing children dying from the cold and a lack of adequate shelter.   “2024 has been a year of unimaginable hardship for families in Gaza. Beyond the constant threat of attacks, many live without adequate shelter, nutrition, or healthcare. Cold injuries, such as frostbite and hypothermia, pose grave risks to young children in tents and other makeshift shelters that are ill-equipped for freezing weather. For newborns, infants, and medically vulnerable children, the danger is even more acute.   “UNICEF teams on the ground continue to work tirelessly, distributing winter clothing, blankets, and emergency supplies to children. But the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver life-saving aid at the scale required remains severely restricted. In November, an average of 65 truckloads of assistance entered Gaza daily, far too little to adequately address the urgent needs of children, women and other civilians. The most northern part of Gaza has now been under a near-total siege for more than two months.   “Safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to and within the Gaza Strip to reach affected populations wherever they are, including in the north, is critical. All access crossings must be opened, including for sufficient fuel and materials needed to run and rehabilitate essential infrastructure and commercial supplies. Safe movement for humanitarian workers and supplies across the Gaza Strip must be guaranteed to safely reach the communities in desperate need.   “As we approach a new year, children have the right to a future free from fear and full of promise. This begins with an immediate, durable ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and a renewed commitment to work together to address the urgent needs of children and their families.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-regional-director-middle-east-and-north-africa-edouard-beigbeder http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-our-effort-save-lives-survivors-gaza-breaking-point http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-calls-international-community-break-cycle-violence-gaza http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1158746 http://www.wfp.org/news/statement-shooting-wfp-convoy-gaza   6 Dec. 2024   Statement by UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder, on the killing of children in Nuseirat and Al Mawasi, Gaza:   “In a single day of bloodshed, children in different parts of the Gaza Strip were reportedly killed while sheltering inside their tents or desperately queueing for a piece of bread amid a rapidly worsening food crisis.   "On Wednesday, an airstrike in Nuseirat Camp, central Gaza, reportedly claimed the lives of four children near a local food distribution point. They were among civilians lining up for a meal until bombs started falling from the sky. Three boys and a girl aged 5 to 11.   “Similarly, an airstrike reportedly hit 40 tents that evening in Al Mawasi, a unilaterally designated “humanitarian zone,” causing a massive explosion and fires.   At least 22 people were reportedly killed, including eight children, with dozens more injured. Their piercing screams, engulfed in flames as they ran for their lives, will haunt humanity's conscience for generations to come.   “This grim week was preceded by the horrific events of last week, when two children and a woman were reportedly crushed to death while waiting in line outside a bakery in central Gaza. Hungry children swept up by despair.   “Day after day, week after week for nearly 14 months now, Gaza has been nothing short of hell on Earth. No child should have to endure such atrocities and carnage, and no parent should have to bury their child. Gaza has become a graveyard for children and families.   “The overall humanitarian response in Gaza is teetering on the brink of full collapse. The lives of virtually all children are at risk or have been shattered by unimaginable trauma, loss, and deprivation. Their safety and access to essential humanitarian aid are not being facilitated as explicitly demanded by international law.   “We call on the parties to the conflict to facilitate the delivery of much-needed aid by humanitarian actors into and throughout Gaza, and to take all necessary measures to ensure they always receive the required protection, in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law.   “With at least 50,000 children affected by acute malnutrition in Gaza - and hundreds of thousands displaced multiple times - no child queuing for a piece of bread or sheltering in a temporary tent should be trampled to death or killed by an airstrike. The ongoing normalization of such horror needs to turn into action to stop it. Enough is enough.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-middle-east-and-north-africa-regional-director-edouard-beigbeder-0 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/cold-sick-and-traumatized-ongoing-nightmare-children-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-children-and-continued http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158406 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/regular-attacks-put-gaza-schools-turned-shelters-frontlines-war http://www.savethechildren.net/news/nowhere-safe-gaza-attacks-north-and-hospital-ablaze-south-put-lives-children-and-families-risk http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/icrc-humanitarian-aid-remains-urgent-necessity-alleviate-tide-suffering-gaza http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-114/en/   1 Nov. 2024   Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee - Stop the assault on Palestinians in Gaza and on those trying to help them:   We the leaders of 15 United Nations and humanitarian organizations urge, yet again, all parties fighting in Gaza to protect civilians, and call on the State of Israel to cease its assault on Gaza and on the humanitarians trying to help.   The situation unfolding in North Gaza is apocalyptic. The area has been under siege for almost a month, denied basic aid and life-saving supplies while bombardment and other attacks continue. Just in the past few days, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and thousands have once again been forcibly displaced.   Hospitals have been almost entirely cut off from supplies and have come under attack, killing patients, destroying vital equipment, and disrupting life-saving services. Health workers and patients have been taken into custody. Fighting has also reportedly taken place inside hospitals.   Dozens of schools serving as shelters have been bombed or forcibly evacuated. Tents sheltering displaced families have been shelled, and people have been burned alive.   Rescue teams have been deliberately attacked and thwarted in their attempts to pull people buried under the rubble of their homes.   The needs of women and girls are overwhelming and growing every day. We have lost contact with those we support and those who provide lifesaving essential services for sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence.   And we have received reports of civilians being targeted while trying to seek safety, and of men and boys being arrested and taken to unknown locations for detention.   Livestock are also dying, crop lands have been destroyed, trees burned to the ground, and agrifood systems infrastructure has been decimated.   The entire Palestinian population in North Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence.   Humanitarian aid cannot keep up with the scale of the needs due to the access constraints. Basic, life-saving goods are not available. Humanitarians are not safe to do their work and are blocked by Israeli forces and by insecurity from reaching people in need.   In a further blow to the humanitarian response, the polio vaccination campaign has been delayed due to the fighting, putting the lives of children in the region at risk.   And this week, the Israeli Parliament adopted legislation that would ban UNRWA and revoke its privileges and immunities. If implemented, such measures would be a catastrophe for the humanitarian response in Gaza, diametrically opposed to the United Nations Charter, with potential dire impacts on the human rights of the millions of Palestinians depending on UNRWA’s assistance, and in violation of Israel’s obligations under international law. Let us be very clear: There is no alternative to UNRWA.   The blatant disregard for basic humanity and for the laws of war must stop. International humanitarian law, including the rules of distinction, proportionality and precautions, must be respected. IHL obligations do not depend on reciprocity. No violation by one party ever releases the other from its legal obligations.   Attacks against civilians and what remains of civilian infrastructure in Gaza must stop.   Humanitarian relief must be facilitated, and we urge all parties to provide unimpeded access to affected people. Additionally, commercial goods must be allowed to enter Gaza.   The wounded and sick must receive the care they need. Medical personnel and hospitals must be spared. Hospitals should not turn into battlegrounds. Unlawfully detained Palestinians must be released. Israel must comply with the provisional orders and determinations of the International Court of Justice.   Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups must release the hostages immediately and unconditionally and must abide by international humanitarian law.   Member States must use their leverage to ensure respect for international law. This includes withholding arms transfers where there is a clear risk that such arms will be used in violation of international law.   The entire region is on the edge of a precipice. An immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustained, unconditional ceasefire are long overdue.   http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-stop-assault-palestinians-gaza-and-those-trying Visit the related web page
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