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“The humanitarian and human rights situation for Palestinian civilians across Gaza is catastrophic,” underscored Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, highlighting the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s recent alert that “there is a strong likelihood that famine is imminent” in the Strip’s northern areas, she told a 15-member body convened an emergency meeting in response to experts’ warnings that immediate action is required within “days, not weeks” to avert the scourge.
She appealed to the Council to take all steps within its powers to influence the parties to end violations, facilitate impartial humanitarian access and protect civilians. Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure “contributes directly to the famine risk being discussed today”, she noted, stressing that “the use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law”.
Kheris added: “The manner in which the Israeli military is conducting operations in northern Gaza suggests not only that Israel’s actions are seeking to empty northern Gaza of Palestinians, by displacing survivors to the south, but points to further grave risks of atrocities of the most serious nature.”
“Men, women, boys and girls are effectively starving as the conflict rages,” underscored Rein Paulsen, Director, Office for Emergencies and Resilience, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), via videoconference. Prior to 7 October 2023, Gaza was largely self-sufficient in vegetables, eggs, fresh milk, poultry and fish, and local agriculture also produced much of the red meat and fruits consumed inside Gaza, he said. Today, nearly 70 per cent of Gaza’s cropland has been damaged or destroyed, and almost 95 per cent of cattle, and more than half of sheep and goat herds, are now dead.
Also briefing the Council was Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, who declared: “As I brief you, Israeli authorities are blocking humanitarian assistance from entering North Gaza, where fighting continues, and around 75,000 people remain with dwindling water and food supplies.” Citing violent armed lootings of UN convoys, the closure of food assistance kitchens and the diminishing daily food distribution, she warned that, if implemented, the Israeli Knesset legislation to ban activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), starting in January, will be “another devastating blow to efforts to provide life-saving aid and avert the threat of famine”.
That international aid cannot travel to reach civilians “is completely unacceptable”, stressed Ray Collins of Highbury, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom, Council President for November, who spoke in his national capacity. Israel must heed and act on the “shocking and urgent” warning that a worst-case scenario is now playing out in areas of northern Gaza, he said, urging that country to flood Gaza with aid, protect civilians, meet all legal obligations as the occupying Power and avoid undermining UNRWA’s role.
“This is a clear use of starvation as a method of war, which constitutes a war crime,” stressed Algeria’s representative. Denial of civilians’ right to food in Gaza constitutes part of systematic collective punishment of the Palestinian population, stressed China’s speaker, urging Israel to remove obstacles to humanitarian access throughout Gaza and any restriction placed on UNRWA.
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