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Security Council Briefed by Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza

Meetings Coverage
Security Council

9617th Meeting (PM)

SC/15679
24 April 2024

(Note: Due to the financial liquidity crisis affecting the United Nations and the resulting time constraints, the full press release will be published at a later date.)

The Security Council met this afternoon to hear a briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine. Addressing the Council was Sigrid Kaag, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023).

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION

Briefing

SIGRID KAAG, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, said that a paradigm shift is needed to meet the immense needs of Gaza's civilian population. This requires a scale-up in assistance and distribution; irreversible steps to enable safe, secure and unhindered delivery inside Gaza; and timely preparation for early recovery and reconstruction. Reporting that health infrastructure in Gaza has been decimated, she said that the few hospitals still standing struggle to operate due to severe shortages of supplies and frequent power outages. As summer draws near and temperatures rise, communicable diseases threaten to sweep through Gaza. Children, who suffer the worst and the most in every crisis, are deprived of nutrition, protection and education and their futures hang in the balance, she said, noting that the efficacy of humanitarian operations cannot be determined by counting trucks. "This is a false metric for gauging whether humanitarian assistance is sufficient," she observed.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is pivotal in providing life-saving humanitarian aid and essential social services to Palestine refugees, she went on to say. "As such, UNRWA is irreplaceable and indispensable as a humanitarian lifeline and must be allowed to deliver on its mandate," she stressed. She also reported that Israel has made several commitments to improve aid delivery, and that a number of steps have been taken to this end. These include an increase in the volume of aid cleared, inspected and crossed into Gaza; the temporary opening of the Erez Crossing and the Port of Ashdod for humanitarian goods, an increase in the number of trucks entering Gaza directly from Jordan, an expansion of the operating hours of the Kerem Shalom and Nitzana border crossings, the resumption of operations by some bakeries in north and central Gaza and the repair of the Nahal Oz waterline. However, further steps are needed to enable the sustained flow of humanitarian and commercial goods into Gaza in terms of volume, need and reach.

"Given the scale and scope of destruction, and the extent of human suffering, every day counts," she underscored, outlining her discussions with regional stakeholders to ensure a consistent pipeline of goods and their distribution within Gaza. She pointed to the launch of the Jordan land corridor, resulting in an increase in volume and spotlighted the potential for further increases. Her team has also engaged in constructive dialogue to optimize the efficiency of aid delivery through Egypt, she reported. On the Cyprus maritime corridor, she said that — while it can never be a substitute for land deliveries — it can provide additional resources. Efforts to build a floating port and pier on the shores of Gaza are advancing, she added. She also said that a database and notification system will go online for all cargo destined for Gaza along supply routes, stating that its operationalization will allow for pipeline prioritization, predictability, visibility and tracking of these supplies.

The extent of the destruction and the devastating impact of this war on the entire population call for an ambitious and comprehensive plan of support with commensurate investment, she stressed. Echoing the Secretary-General, she noted the critical role to be played by the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. "The international community must work towards enabling its return, strengthen its governance capacity and prepare it to reassume its responsibilities in Gaza," she said. Also expressing concern over a potential Israeli operation in Rafah, she underscored: "Such action would compound an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, with consequences for people already displaced and enduring severe hardships and suffering. The UN's ability to deliver will be constrained."

Statements

The representative of the United Kingdom, while welcoming Israel's commitment to increase aid flows into Gaza, stressed that "much more needs to be done". Further, the Senior Coordinator's mandate to establish a mechanism to track, verify and coordinate aid is crucial, she said, adding that her Government will provide over $3.5 million in additional funding for equipment to support the efforts of the UN and aid agencies to get more aid into Gaza. It is also vital that this aid is distributed quickly and effectively — to this end, Israel must improve deconfliction and allow UN agencies and humanitarian actors unhindered and safe access into and throughout Gaza. Recognizing that UNRWA is critical to aid delivery in Gaza, she commended the independent review of the Agency's neutrality and noted that London will determine its future funding following careful consideration of the final report and the Agency's response.

The representative of Mozambique said that the Israel Defense Forces continue military operations that cause more civilian casualties, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Recalling that the Council — despite the challenges in achieving consensus — successfully adopted resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720 (2023), he stated that both were clear in their appeals: calls for an immediate and urgent humanitarian ceasefire, a cessation of hostilities, and ultimately, a ceasefire. Reiterating an appeal to Council members with influence to cooperate with the Senior Coordinator to fulfil her mandate, he underscored: "The human toll of this conflict is staggering, with innocent lives caught in the crossfire. The call for a ceasefire remains, therefore, urgent and crucial."

The representative of the United States said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is "beyond dire" and that his country has called on Israel to take a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address this crisis, protect civilians and ensure the safety of aid workers. While acknowledging that Israel has taken some positive steps, he stressed: "But not nearly enough and not quickly enough." The United States' position is clear: Israel must take immediate action to open additional land crossings into Northern Gaza. "As Gaza faces imminent famine, lives hang in the balance and every day matters," he said, adding that the United States and its partners are working to establish a maritime corridor to Gaza and calling on Israel to open Ashdod to humanitarian shipments. "This is critical, and it needs to happen right away," he underscored, also urging accountability for the killing of humanitarian personnel, including the attack on World Central Kitchen staff earlier in April.

The representative of Algeria, underscoring the need to establish a UN mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief into Gaza, said that every Member State with influence should help the Senior Coordinator implement her mandate. However, successful humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza depends on an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Otherwise, humanitarian actors will deliver aid at risk to their lives, he said, condemning the assassination of humanitarian workers from the World Central Kitchen. Highlighting UNRWA's irreplaceable role in Gaza, he stressed that the Agency must be able to operate freely and safely. He further warned that a ground offensive into Rafah "will leave people with no choice but to flee to Egypt" and would represent "an irreversible breach of peace and security in the region and beyond".

The representative of Ecuador noted that more than four months have passed since the adoption of resolution 2720 (2023), observing: "Regrettably, many of its provisions are far from being fulfilled, and the valuable progress achieved is insufficient given the magnitude of the task." The civilian population in Gaza must have access to the aid it needs at scale. Quito welcomes efforts to "diversify" aid routes and supply lines by land, air and sea and encourages the pursuit of these efforts despite operational difficulties, he said, expressing hope that the mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief to Gaza will be fully operational as soon as possible.

The representative of Guyana said that the death toll in Gaza "should shock our collective conscience and compel us to bring this war to an immediate and just end after more than 200 days of unimaginable horror". The lack of sufficient land crossings remains a major hindrance to humanitarian efforts in Gaza that is compounded by excessive inspection processes, she observed, emphasizing that Israel is obliged to enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale. However, while scaling up humanitarian support and increasing access across Gaza is crucial, "this alone will not save lives", she stressed, adding that there must be a permanent ceasefire for aid to be delivered effectively. Additionally, Palestinians must not be expected to subsist on humanitarian aid for any lengthy period, as conditions must be created for them to build their livelihoods.

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