OCHA calls on Security Council to "end the suffering" in Gaza, West Bank

Briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East by Edem Wosornu, Director, Operations and Advocacy for OCHA, on behalf of Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

New York, 4 September 2024

As delivered

Thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to update the Council, alongside Under-Secretary-General [for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary] DiCarlo following our briefing last week.

Mr. President, Members of the Council,

The latest developments in Gaza and the West Bank compel us to reaffirm, yet again, the equal value of every human life.

The aim of international humanitarian law is to limit the consequences of war by setting minimum standards of conduct to protect and meet the needs of those who are not fighting – the basic requirements of humanity.

Yet, suffering and devastation show that there has been almost no limit to the inhumanity unfolding before our eyes.

There are no winners in this war – instead, it is marked by loss and agony, with civilians bearing the heaviest burden.

As Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo has just noted, we see this in the Hamas attacks on October 7, when more than 1,000 people were killed, including scores of children.

We see this in the recent killings of six hostages. Again, as Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo has said, an estimated 101 Israeli and foreign nationals remain hostage in Gaza, including the remains of those declared dead.

We are alarmed by the treatment and conditions of the remaining hostages and the refusal to allow visits or assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Mr. President,

We also have grave concerns about the injury and death toll among Palestinians in Gaza – more than 40,000 people killed and 93,000 people injured, over half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Much of this death and devastation is the result of the use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas, including in camps, shelters and areas where civilians have been told to evacuate. 

Mr. President, members of the Council

The brutality of this conflict seems to know no limits.

We see this in the many attacks harming humanitarian workers: 295 humanitarian workers killed since 7 October.

We also see this in the attacks on humanitarian assets:  since January, United Nations vehicles have been directly hit in more than a dozen separate incidents even though their movements were notified. 

Attacks hitting humanitarian personnel and their movement are further limiting the delivery of life-saving aid. As noted last week, the World Food Programme temporarily suspended staff movements following an attack that hit one of its convoys on 28 August.

We see it in the reports of ill-treatment, including torture and sexual violence, of thousands of Palestinians taken into detention by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank.

We see this in the parties’ reported use of human shields, and the embedding of military presence in populated areas.

The medical system in Gaza has been decimated, leaving people – including pregnant and breastfeeding women, and small children – without critical care.  19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals – more than half – are out of service. As noted, many times before, the remaining hospitals are barely functioning, overwhelmed by patients amid shortages of fuel and medical supplies.

Water infrastructure has been severely hampered, damaged, reducing the water supply to just a quarter of what it was before October 2023.

Food sources and production facilities have been destroyed. Food delivery remains severely hampered by ongoing fighting, damaged roads, and barriers to the entry and movement of humanitarian supplies. Around 96 per cent of the population continue to face high levels of acute food insecurity, with nearly half a million people facing catastrophic hunger.

Vital humanitarian operations have been crippled, with growing denials of humanitarian missions and movements within Gaza, which is only causing suffering to compound further.

At the same time, repeated evacuation orders leave civilians exposed to the dangers of hostilities and deprived of the essentials to survive. There is no safe place for civilians in Gaza. They must be allowed to seek protection.

Mr. President,

It does not have to be this way.

Indeed, over the past few days, there have been signs that humanitarian objectives can inspire positive steps.

We welcome the local humanitarian pauses, which have enabled the launch of the emergency polio vaccination campaign, again, as Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo highlighted), and recognize the colossal efforts of health actors to carry out the campaign in a very challenging environment. The Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator met with the highest levels of the Government of Israel yesterday on humanitarian concerns, including the importance of the polio campaign.

According to the World Health Organization, over 187,000 children under the age of 10 have been vaccinated in the first phase of the campaign, towards the goal of reaching more than 640,000 children in the coming period. UNRWA [the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] is playing a vital role, including with over 200 teams operating in its clinics and health points.

We also welcome the repair of the main water line between Israel and Khan Younis by local partners in cooperation with UNICEF. While the water and sanitation situation in Gaza remains dire, the repair has restored water service in several areas, including Al Mawasi, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people endure unbearable conditions.

Despite all the challenges, we remain on the ground in Al Mawasi and across Gaza, providing essential assistance, including food and shelter, and protection services, as best we can. Food rations are being distributed, albeit at reduced levels. Due to the lack of supplies, wheat flour is excluded from the ration as it is prioritized for the 14 bakeries supported by humanitarian actors. Tents are also being distributed, though they are insufficient to match the needs of repeatedly displaced families, especially with the approaching cold and rainy weather.

Mr. President, distinguished members of the Council,

Allow me to reiterate our concern from last week - we remain very alarmed by the human toll of intensified Israeli military operations in the West Bank.

On the night of 27 and 28 August, Israeli Forces launched the largest military operation in decades in northern West Bank, against the backdrop of increased casualties, settler violence, forced displacement and movement restrictions. It’s now been a week, and that operation is still ongoing.

Humanitarian organizations assessed needs in Tulkarm and are responding but were denied access by Israeli forces for an assessment in Jenin.

While access denials have limited our ability to fully assess the humanitarian impact, we can confirm that over two dozen Palestinians have been killed over the past week; hundreds of families have been displaced; and there has been widescale damage to basic infrastructure and private property from airstrikes, military bulldozers, exchanges of fire and explosive detonations.

I recall that any use of force in the West Bank must comply with international human rights law and the standards governing law enforcement. Tactics typically used during hostilities in armed conflict are inconsistent with these standards and raise concerns of excessive use of force.

Mr. President,

Respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law is not optional.  Allow me to restate that hostages must be released, civilians must be protected, and their essential needs must be met. This Council – and all Member States – must use their influence to ensure compliance, including by exerting diplomatic and other pressure and cooperating in pursuing accountability.

We once again appeal to Council Members and all Member States to achieve an immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustained ceasefire in Gaza, and to de-escalate the situation in the West Bank. Resolutions passed by this Council promised an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They also called for the release of hostages. Yet, months later, the violence continues, thousands more people have been killed, and hostages remain separated from their families.

It is time for this Council to turn its promises into reality and end the suffering.

Thank you.