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Gaza: ‘History is watching’ warns UN relief chief, saying aid access is key priority

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United Nations News
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Gaza: ‘History is watching’ warns UN relief chief, saying aid access is key priority

Every effort continues to be made by the United Nations and partners to get aid supplies into Gaza following the Israeli order to evacuate the north of the enclave, the UN’s emergency relief chief said on Monday.

“History is watching,” Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths told UN News in Geneva, highlighting the desperate situation facing around one million Gazans uprooted in the last week, after the Israeli military warned of an imminent offensive following the deadly 7 October attacks on Israel by militant group Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza strip since 2006.

“Aid access is our overwhelming priority. And we are in deep discussions hourly with the Israelis, with the Egyptians, with the Gazans about how to do that,” Mr. Griffiths said, adding that he was optimistic about hearing “some good news” soon that a solution could be found to the political impasse which has prevented aid convoys crossing from Egypt’s Rafah into southern Gaza.

The top UN aid official was speaking before heading to the Middle East, “trying to help, working with diplomats from all countries” to secure aid access and de-escalate the tinderbox situation, which UN Secretary-General described on Sunday as being on the “verge of the abyss”.

International responsibility

“It’s all Member States who have obligations…not just those in the region” to defuse the worst Israeli-Palestinian conflagration in decades, Mr. Griffiths continued. “The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the Arab world all have obligations” to ensure that the lives of civilians are protected and the rules of war observed.

“Don’t attack civilian infrastructure, protect civilians when they move,” the UN official insisted. “Make sure they get the aid they need and make sure that there are corridors which allow them some respite from the relentless attacks that are happening upon them.”

Hostage crisis

Among the key issues facing diplomats is securing the release of a reported 199 Israeli hostages, seized during the Hamas raid, the UN emergency relief chief continued.

“This war was started by taking those hostages. Of course, there’s a history between Palestinian people and the Israeli people, and I’m not denying any of that. But that act alone lit a fire, which can only be put out with the release of those hostages.”

Amid ongoing airstrikes in Gaza and concerns over a regional escalation of the conflict – especially on the northern border with Lebanon – Mr. Griffiths reiterated the need for humanity to prevail.

“History is watching to see if the consequences of this war are going to be generationally bad or if there are going to be ways in which swiftly that can be rebuilt, some kind of comity or neighbourliness between those two tragic peoples. …(Those are) the messages I’ll be taking to the region about biased in favour of one or the other, that biased in favour of humanity.”

Toll mounts

Since the start of the war, which has claimed the lives of some 1,300 Israeli citizens and injured 3,200 more, a reported 2,750 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 7,500 wounded.

Fourteen staff from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNWRA, have also been killed. “They were teachers, engineers, guards and psychologists, an engineer and a gynecologist,” Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told journalists on Sunday.

Medical aid to Lebanon

The World Health Organization (WHO) has rushed critical medical supplies to Lebanon in order to be ready to respond to any potential health crisis there.

Two shipments arrived in Beirut on Monday from WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai, and include enough surgical and trauma medicines and supplies to meet the needs of 800 to 1000 injured patients. The Lebanese Ministry of Health is in the process of identifying the referral hospitals that will receive these vital supplies.

Lebanon’s health system has been crippled as a result of an economic crisis, the Beirut port blast that occurred in August 2020, and the additional burden of the Syrian refugee crisis. There are severe shortages of specialized medical doctors and health workers, and medicines and medical equipment.

Since violence escalated between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory last Saturday, there have also been reports of clashes on the border between Israel and south Lebanon, resulting in casualties among civilians.

Latest updates from UNRWA:

  • Over one million people – almost half the total population of Gaza – have been displaced. Some 600,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are in the Middle Area, Khan Yunis and Rafah, of those, nearly 400,000 are in UNRWA facilities – much exceeding our capacity to assist in any meaningful way, including with space in our shelters, food, water or psychological support.    
  • Despite the Israeli Forces’ evacuation order, an unknown number of IDPs remain in UNRWA schools in Gaza city and the North. UNRWA is no longer able to assist or protect them. Over 160,000 IDPs were sheltering in 57 UNRWA premises.
  • The number of killed is increasing. There are not enough body-bags for the dead in Gaza.  
  • There is some water available in local shops, but rations are still down to one litre of water per person per day for the UNRWA teams in the Rafah logistics base (to cover drinking and all other needs).  
  • People across Gaza have severely limited access to clean drinking water. As a last resort, people are consuming brackish water from agricultural wells, triggering serious concerns over the spread of waterborne diseases.  
  • After five days, Gaza has had no electricity, pushing vital services, including health, water and sanitation to the brink of collapse.
  • UNRWA has sent an advance team to Egypt to prepare for the possible opening of a humanitarian corridor to bring humanitarian aid supplies into the Strip.  
  • As of Sunday only eight UNRWA health centres were operational across Gaza providing primary health-care services, with estimated supplies of less than one month.  
  • There are a total of 3,500 hospital beds in Gaza. Evacuation orders apply to 23 hospitals in Gaza and north Gaza, adding up to 2,000 beds. 

HAMAS, Totalitarian Terrorism and Human Rights

By
Gabriel Carrion Lopez
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HAMAS, Totalitarian Terrorism and Human Rights
Photo: CHUTTERSNAP

HAMAS is a terrorist military structure that does not desire the well-being of the Palestinian people, but rather the elimination of the Jewish people, down to the last Jew

I think no one doubts that HAMAS is a terrorist organization. However, the West has lost perspective on a conflict that was not precisely started by the Jews. The facts are clear. One town is attacked by another and has the right to defense, and to the best possible defense, against a terrorist organization that, we must not forget, began by murdering civilians, including women and children.

HAMAS is a terrorist military structure that does not desire the well-being of the Palestinian people, but rather the elimination of the Jewish people, down to the last Jew, no matter how old he or she is. That is the maxim of a totalitarian organization whose only interests are to sow horror and serve the interests of Iran and other deeply ideologized countries with which it is not possible to understand each other.

HAMAS, as a totalitarian organization, is what keeps the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip oppressed, not Israel. In fact, this religious organization is the one that bombed one of the possible exits through the Egyptian border, to hinder the movement of men, women and children who wanted to escape the horror. As a sectarian and totalitarian organization, it uses as human shields thousands of people whom it has asked not to leave the Strip and has made their exit difficult with its permanent actions.

HAMAS, in its madness showing the images of kidnapped children, in the arms of masked terrorists, continues to provoke the Jews. We have arrived, in this absurdity of violence and communicative voracity, to the grotesque spectacle of seeing how images of stabbing, cutting the throat, or shooting in the back of the head are proudly disseminated by those who commit them, as a form of communication. HAMAS’s greatest achievement with its attack on Israel has been to set the Middle East on fire again, without caring one bit about its own people. What was the fault of the hundreds of young people, adolescents murdered mercilessly in the rave for peace in the desert? The hundreds killed by HAMAS in the Kibbutz, where the terrorists entered house by house and killed men, women or children, including babies a week ago, seem to count for no one in the West.

This morning I was listening to a program on Antena 3 (Spain) Public mirror, to a Spanish woman living in the West Bank, married to a Palestinian, Juani Rishmawi spoke of the pain caused by the images of the children who have died under the selective bombing of the Israeli forces and echoed the pain of all of them, for the love that Palestinians feel for their children. However, I have not heard her comment anything about the children that the terrorists keep kidnapped, using them as human shields, or about those who murdered and continue to do so whenever they can. This false morality, this hatred of others, this demonization of the other within Islam is a constant that clouds the rationalization of a conflict entrenched in a Manichean way of understanding religion.

HAMAS is undoubtedly a destructive sect that has held the Gaza Strip hostage. We will be able to establish calls for peace, we will be able to sit down the Jews, Egyptians, Lebanese, Arabs, and talk about peace, about pacts, but we will not be able to sit down the Afghans, Iranians or other radical groups, simply because their way of understanding life is sexist. , misogynistic and above all without conscience. We can talk about human rights in the Gaza Strip, and we see how despite their strategy, the United States and Egypt are trying by all means to build bridges with Israel. The entry of the army has been delayed because the Jews do not want to be atrocious, but as a people, they have historically learned that if they do not defend themselves they will be murdered. What are the gestures that HAMAS has made to try to stop the exodus of its compatriots? Show corpses, show images and boast about being as cruel as DAEHS or ISIS. The reality of the war that we are seeing was clearly described to us in his words, the war correspondent of Radio Nacional de España, Fran Sevilla, when in one of his chronicles he explained: “The videos of the kidnappings and murders of Israelis are being released by HAMAS; those of the bombings of Gaza, by the Israeli Army; and the images of those killed in Gaza, by Palestinian journalists authorized by HAMAS.”

It is the terrorists, with the use of information, who control the flow of what the average viewer sees on their screens. Interested and biased information that the West shows shamelessly, without knowing that it is unwittingly becoming an accomplice of terrorists who only want publicity. It had never happened before that the assassins themselves wanted to show images of their exploits. And this retransmission of images induced by terrorism increases hatred so that this call to lone wolves around the world, begin to commit atrocious actions, such as the murder of a teacher in France.

Until we understand the conflicts that radical Muslim groups are leading us into, until we understand that they do not represent Islam, and until we understand that groups like HAMAS only serve their own interests, there will continue to be atrocities. And to conclude this approach to voracious terrorism, a question is why HAMAS has not returned the kidnapped people and thus prevented the exodus of the inhabitants of the Strip, perhaps because that does not serve their interests?

Originally published at LaDamadeElche.com

A painting of Patriarch Kirill in the patriarchal residence outraged social networks

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Newsroom
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A painting of Patriarch Kirill in the patriarchal residence outraged social networks

The presence of a painting featuring Patriarch Kirill in the reception hall of the Danilovsky Monastery has sparked controversy among social media users.

After the spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church Vladimir Legoida, shared the outcomes of a meeting by the Holy Synod people initially believed that it was a manipulated image intended to tarnish the reputation of the Russian patriarch. However it was later revealed that the painting is a piece and holds a prominent position in the patriarchal residence for everyone to see.

The painting portrays Patriarch Kirill standing against a backdrop of three angels from Andrei Rublevs “Holy Trinity” icon. At his feet lies Holy Rus symbolizing his role as a bridge between heaven and earth—according to the artists interpretation—placed on footing with each member of the Holy Trinity.

While some may view this artwork as kitsch and consider it opportunistic it undeniably conveys a clear message about the prevailing ideology, within the Russian Church at this time.
It’s quite surprising that the grandiosity of the image bordering on sacrilege went unnoticed as problematic. Despite this the painting was prominently displayed in the residence potentially evoking a sense of awe and an understanding of Patriarch Kirill significant role in history for all visitors.

The painting sparked discussions on social media platforms with some taking a satirical approach. One comment humorously: “The Patriarch Kirill already deified and became the fourth person of the Trinity during his lifetime. It is clear that the original Trinity is now obsolete and unnecessary.”

According to more serious remarks the intention was to portray Cyril as a patron saint akin to Abraham being the “father of nations.” However traditional iconography rarely emphasizes Abraham in a manner. He is typically portrayed towards the end. Often in the background rather than, at the center of attention compositionally. Furthermore Abraham is depicted serving and entertaining than “revealing” himself amidst angels. His figure also lacks any emphasis through color accents.
In this case Cyril is portrayed as being on the level as the Holy Trinity and even surpasses it visually overshadowing the central angel and essentially replacing it in terms of composition.

The artist behind this portrait doesn’t really attribute any significance to the Old Testament theophany (the appearance of God). Their focus is not on God but rather, on highlighting Cyrils greatness. This results in a nonsensical situation where from a meaning standpoint Cyril takes precedence over the Trinity. The fact that the patriarch approved hanging this uninspiring “art product” in his residence suggests that he appreciates this portrayal…

World Council of Churches Fails in Attempt to Hold Ukraine Round Table

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Newsroom
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World Council of Churches Fails in Attempt to Hold Ukraine Round Table

The World Council of Churches released a statement admitting that its months-long efforts to organize Ukraine Round Table had failed.

The attempt by the World Council of Churches (WCC) to bring together around a round table the two Ukrainian Orthodox churches, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine led by Metropolitan Epifany and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the leadership of Metropolitan Onufriy, linked to the Patriarchate of Moscow, to a dialogue table has failed.

The organization of the round table has included visits to Russia and Ukraine, but none of the Orthodox churches involved in the conflict has agreed to dialogue with the others. Both Ukrainian churches were categorical in their reluctance to talk.

The WCC statement said: “Unfortunately, despite the efforts we have made over the past months, the practical and political obstacles to the participation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) as the main participants in such a dialogue process for now make our plans impossible. We continue to believe that the participation of both the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an essential basis for the dialogue process we envisage to promote social cohesion among the people of Ukraine on its path as a free and independent nation, and for the broader search of peace in a deeply divided and conflicted world’.

“We pray that God will lead us forward on the path to peace and that circumstances and perspectives will change so that dialogue becomes possible,” the statement concluded.

Photo: Pontius Pilatus (fresco by Zahariy Zograf, monastery of Transfiguration, Bulgaria). The frescoes in the church are the work of the notable representative of the Samokov school of painting and date from 1849-1851.

Middle East on ‘verge of the abyss’, UN warns as Israel-Hamas conflict deepens Gaza crisis

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United Nations News
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Middle East on ‘verge of the abyss’, UN warns as Israel-Hamas conflict deepens Gaza crisis

The UN chief’s appeal comes as clean water and other vital supplies are dwindling inside Gaza in the wake of Israel’s blockade. 

UN and other humanitarian agencies have worked round the clock to preposition aid since the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out following the militant group’s 7 October attack on several locations inside Israel and Israel’s subsequent declaration of war. 

Thousands have reportedly been killed on both sides and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee as the situation in the Gaza Strip rapidly deteriorated after Israel warned of an imminent offensive.

“In this dramatic moment, as we are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East, it is my duty as Secretary-General of the United Nations to make two strong humanitarian appeals,” said Antonio Guterres in a statement.

His appeal to Hamas is to immediately release the hostages without conditions. And Israel should grant rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid for the civilians in Gaza.  

“Our selfless staff on the ground, along with NGO partners, need to be able to bring these supplies into and throughout Gaza safely,” said Mr. Guterres.  

These objectives should not become bargaining chips and must be implemented, appealed the UN Secretary-General, adding that it is “the right thing to do”.

‘Gaza is being strangled’

Similar pleas came earlier on Sunday from UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. 

Speaking to journalist in East Jerusalem, the head of the UN agency dealing with Palestinian refugees, warned that his colleagues in Gaza were no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance. 

“UNRWA operations are the largest United Nations footprint in the Gaza Strip, and we are on the verge of collapse,” he said, explaining that there was “not one drop of water, not one grain of wheat, not a litre of fuel” allowed into the Gaza Strip for the last eight days.   

And soon, he added, there would be no food or medicine. Thousands of people have been killed, including children and women. Gaza is now even running out of body bags, the UNRWA chief lamented.

“In fact, Gaza is being strangled and it seems that the world right now has lost its humanity,” he stressed.  

At least one million people were forced to flee their homes in one week alone, and “a river of people continues to flow south”. 

‘Nothing less than collective punishment’

At least 400,000 displaced are now in UNRWA schools and buildings, most of which are not equipped as emergency shelters. Most of the 13,000 UNRWA staff in the Gaza Strip are now displaced or out of their own homes.

Children from families sheltering at an UNRWA school in Gaza eat bread distributed by the World Food Programme (WFP).

“We, as UNRWA, have already lost 14 staff members. They were teachers, engineers, guards and psychologists, an engineer and a gynaecologist,” said Mr. Lazzarini.  

To sustain operations following the Israeli ultimatum, the UNRWA team in Gaza relocated to Rafah, working now in the same building that houses thousands of desperate displaced people who are likewise rationing their food and water.  

Sanitary conditions are appalling, Mr. Lazzarini continued. “Old people, children, pregnant women, people with disabilities are just being deprived of their basic human dignity, and this is a total disgrace!” 

“The siege in Gaza, the way it is imposed, is nothing less than collective punishment,” he stressed, demanding immediate safe passage of essential supplies such as fuel, water, food and medicine.

Tensions along the Blue Line

The conflict is now threatening to spill over into the wider region. 

UNIFIL, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, stated that intense exchanges of fire in several areas along the Blue Line between Lebanese territory and Israel were observed during Sunday. There have been impacts on both sides of the Blue Line, the unofficial border which separates Israel and Lebanon. 

UNIFIL CHINMEU/Ding Wendong

Blue line equipment maintenance

“Our headquarters in Naqoura was hit with a rocket and we are working to verify from where,” the UNIFIL statement reads. The operation’s peacekeepers were not in shelters at the time, but none were injured.

Actively engaging with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line to de-escalate the situation, UNIFIL urges all the parties involved to cease fire and allow peacekeepers to help find solutions. 

“No one wants to see more people hurt or killed,” underscored the statement, expressing regret that the military escalation continues.

WHO scales up response capacity 

The increased tensions on the border between Israel and south Lebanon prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to increase its capacity to provide immediate access to lifesaving medical care to civilians there.  

Two shipments arrived in Beirut today from WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai. They include enough surgical and trauma medicines and supplies to meet the needs of 800 to 1000 injured patients. 

In a statement, the UN agency explained that Lebanon’s health system has been crippled because of an ongoing economic crisis, the Beirut port blast of 2020, and the additional burden of the Syrian refugee crisis. 

The Lebanese Ministry of Health is in the process of identifying the referral hospitals that will receive the vital supplies from WHO.

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First Person: ‘A handful of soil’ – refugee stories from Armenia

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United Nations News
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First Person: ‘A handful of soil’ – refugee stories from Armenia

People who have fled to Armenia from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan have been talking about how their lives have been shattered by the recent escalation in hostilities there.

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UN relief chief urges end to ‘humanitarian nightmare’ in Sudan

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United Nations News
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UN relief chief urges end to ‘humanitarian nightmare’ in Sudan

Six months of war have plunged Sudan into one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Sunday, calling on the parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.

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Liège, student city: a dynamic and festive atmosphere

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NewsdeskTET
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Liège, student city: a dynamic and festive atmosphere

Located in Belgium, the city of Liège is renowned for its dynamic and festive student atmosphere. With its numerous universities and colleges, Liège attracts thousands of students from all walks of life every year. Let’s discover together what makes Liège such an attractive city for young people.

First of all, Liège offers a wide choice of quality higher education establishments. Whether it is the University of Liège, the Haute Ecole de la Province de Liège or the Haute Ecole de la Ville de Liège, students are spoiled for choice when it comes to pursuing their studies in a variety of fields. This diversity allows students to find the training that corresponds to their aspirations and their professional projects.

In addition to its numerous higher education institutions, Liège also has a very rich student life. The city offers many services specially dedicated to students, such as affordable student accommodation, well-equipped university libraries, university restaurants and much more. These services make daily life easier for students and help create a friendly atmosphere.

But what makes Liège such an attractive student city is above all its dynamic and festive atmosphere. Liège students are renowned for their joie de vivre and their festive spirit. The city is full of bars, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs where students can meet to spend pleasant times with friends. Student evenings are very popular in Liège and offer students the opportunity to have fun and relax after classes.

In addition to its lively nightlife, Liège also offers many cultural and sporting activities for students. The city has many museums, art galleries and theaters where students can learn about culture and art. Sports enthusiasts are not left out, with numerous clubs and sports associations where they can practice their favorite discipline. The city’s parks and green spaces also offer relaxation and leisure spaces for students seeking nature.

Liège is not only a student city, it is also an economically dynamic city. The presence of numerous companies and industries offers students numerous internship and job opportunities. Students thus have the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice and develop their professional skills while continuing their studies.

Finally, Liège is a city very well served in terms of transport. Thanks to its well-developed public transportation network, students can easily get around the city and get to their university campus. Additionally, the proximity to France, the Netherlands and Germany allows students to easily travel and discover new cultures.

In conclusion, Liège is a student city which offers a dynamic and festive atmosphere. With its quality higher education institutions, its rich student life and its numerous cultural and sporting activities, Liège is an ideal destination for students looking for an enriching experience. Whether for studies, leisure or work, Liège has everything you need to meet the expectations of young people.

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

Countering Anti-Religious Hate Crimes: Safeguarding Communities and Fostering Inclusivity

By
Juan Sanchez Gil
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Anti-Religious Hate Crimes

Representatives of religious and belief communities, along with experts, recently gathered to discuss the issue of countering anti-religious hate crimes, at a side event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

A Focus on the Precursors of Anti-Religious Hate Crimes

The event took place on the margins of the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, organized by the 2023 OSCE Chairpersonship of North Macedonia with the support of ODIHR. The participants emphasized the importance of creating an inclusive society based on mutual respect to effectively address this issue while adding a special focus on the precursors of hate crimes.

They identified that while some of the discriminations can not be defined as hate crimes with current agreed definitions, some government attitudes and policies are planting the seeds for anti-religious hate crimes to occur against some religious denominations.

Safeguarding Communities and Cultivating a Flourishing Environment

One of the key points highlighted by the participants was the need to work towards safeguarding communities from hate-motivated crimes. This involves implementing policies and initiatives that ensure the safety and well-being of religious or belief communities. However, it was also emphasized that countering anti-religious hate goes beyond crime prevention. It is equally important to create an environment in which these communities can thrive and flourish.

Fostering Mutual Respect and Understanding

In order to effectively counter anti-religious hate crimes, participants stressed the importance of fostering mutual respect and understanding. They emphasized the need for policies and genuine dialogue that promote inclusivity and acceptance of different religious or belief systems. Kishan Manocha, the Head of the ODIHR Tolerance and Non-Discrimination department, stated that this approach not only allows individuals and communities to live free from hate, but also enables them to thrive.

Addressing Anti-Religious Hate Crimes and Intolerance

The discussions at the event focused on the commitments of OSCE states to address anti-religious intolerance and hate crimes. This includes crimes that are motivated by bias against Christians, Jews, Muslims, and members of other religions, and this case the event had a representative of the Church of Scientology who showed the discrimination and dehumanization being instigated by German authorities against this community.

The participants also discussed good practices in combating hate crime and addressing the impact of crimes motivated by multiple biases.

  • Engaging with affected communities: Participants emphasized the importance of engaging with the communities most affected by anti-religious hate crimes to understand their specific security needs.
  • Demonstrating commitment: Authorities were urged to demonstrate a real commitment to protecting freedom of religion or belief for all individuals. This includes swiftly condemning anti-religious hate crimes and taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of religious or belief communities.
  • Building trust and inclusivity: Meaningful cooperation and communication with targeted communities should be at the centre of states’ efforts to build equal, open, and inclusive societies.

ODIHR’s Initiatives

During the event, ODIHR presented its various programs, resources, and tools that can be utilized by OSCE participating States and civil society to address anti-religious hate. One notable resource is ODIHR’s Hate Crime Report, which provides data and information on hate crimes in the OSCE area.

Overall, the event served as a platform for participants to discuss the current challenges and share insights on countering anti-religious hate. The key takeaways highlight the importance of inclusivity, mutual respect, and meaningful engagement with affected communities in creating societies that are free from hate and discrimination. By fostering an environment in which religious and belief communities can thrive, the aim is to build equal, open, and inclusive societies for all.

The speakers were Eric Roux (Co-Chair, FoRB Roundtable Brussels-EU), Christine Mirre (Director, Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience – CAP Freedom of Conscience), Alexander Verkhovskiy (Director, SOVA Research Center), Isabella Sargsyan (Program Director, Eurasia Partnership Foundation; Member, ODIHR Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief) and Ivan Arjona-Pelado (President, European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights).

Gaza – Nowhere to go, as humanitarian crisis reaches ‘dangerous new low’

By
EuropeanTimes
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Gaza - Nowhere to go, as humanitarian crisis reaches 'dangerous new low'
© UNICEF/Mohammad Ajjour - Children walk in the wreckage of homes destroyed by airstrikes in Al Shati refugee camp in the Gaza.

Some 1.1 million people would be expected to leave northern Gaza the same order applied to all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities, including schools, health centres and clinics.

Humanitarians expressed deep concern on Friday for all civilians in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s order for the entire population there to leave the north, amid ongoing airstrikes and a deepening crisis. The UN chief told reporters outside the Security Council the world had to unite around the principle of protecting civilians and “finding a lasting solution to this unending cycle of death and destruction.”

The development follows an announcement by UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, just before midnight Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, that UN representatives in Gaza had been told by Israeli military liaison officers everyone living north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within 24 hours.

Some 1.1 million people would be expected to leave northern Gaza, Mr. Dujarric said, adding that the same order applied to all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities, including schools, health centres and clinics.

The UN considers it “impossible” for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences and appeals for the order to be rescinded, he added.

Guterres calls on Israel to avert ‘humanitarian catastrophe’

Briefing journalists in New York on Friday afternoon, Mr. Dujarric said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres had been “working the phones” since Thursday night.

“He’s been in constant contact with Israeli authorities urging them to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.” The UN chief has also been in touch with ambassadors in New York and other key officials in the Middle East.

Mr. Dujarric said it was essential to provide humanitarian access for civilians trapped inside the Gaza Strip to prevent more deaths.

He said it was vital to protect all civilians, including those sheltering in UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) schools.

‘Pushing people into the abyss’

UN humanitarians joined their voices to these calls on Friday, urging the parties to save civilian lives.

UN relief chief Martin Griffiths, tweeted that “the noose around the civilian population in Gaza is tightening“, asking how such a huge number of people could possible move across a “densely populated warzone” in just 24 hours.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, warned that the relocation order “will only lead to unprecedented levels of misery and further push people in Gaza into abyss”. He said that over 423,000 people across the enclave have already been displaced, of whom more than 270,000 have taken refuge in UNRWA shelters.

The agency tweeted later on Friday that Gaza was “fast becoming a hell hole and is on the brink of collapse. There is no exception, all parties must uphold the laws of war.”

Briefing reporters in Geneva, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson James Elder regretted that the humanitarian situation has now reached “lethal lows”.

He highlighted that the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated places on the planet and people, including hundreds of thousands of children, who are finding themselves “with nowhere safe to go”.

OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke also underscored the impossibility of a relocation, asking, “in the middle of a war zone where people are already at the end of the rope, how is that going to happen?”

Aid ‘locked out’

He also insisted on the urgency of humanitarian access to Gaza as all supplies were rapidly depleting.

“We’re pretty much locked out,” he said.

On Thursday, the UN launched a flash appeal for $294 million for 77 humanitarian partners to address the most urgent needs of 1.26 million people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

“This is a response to an escalation that has put civilians in a situation in which they should never be,” Mr. Laerke said about the appeal. “The most urgent priority is now to de-escalate,” he added.

Health system at ‘breaking point’

WHO’s Mr. Jašarević insisted that the health system in Gaza is at a “breaking point”. The two major hospitals in the north of the Gaza Strip, the Indonesian Hospital and Shifa Hospital, have already exceeded their combined 760-bed capacity and the hospitals in the south of Gaza were also “overflowing”.

Six of the seven main hospitals in Gaza are only partially functioning, he added.

‘Death sentence’ for the vulnerable

He stressed that moving vulnerable patients such as those critically injured and adults, children and newborns depending on life support in intensive care, would be a “death sentence”.

“Asking health workers to do so is beyond cruel,” he said.

Mr. Jašarević painted a very grim picture of the reality in Gaza’s health facilities, saying that health workers on the ground described dead bodies “piling up” as there is no more space in the morgues, and ambulances and doctors have to make a “horrific choice” as to who to save and who to leave behind.

Attacks on healthcare

He added that as of Thursday 34 attacks on health care in the Gaza Strip had been confirmed since the beginning of the current offensive resulting in the deaths of 11 health care workers on duty. The Gaza Emergency Operation Centre, supported by WHO, has sustained heavy damages, he said. 

He also cited reports of an attack by Hamas on Ashkelon hospital in Israel over the past weekend, in which one paramedic was killed.

Release hostages, protect civilians

UN human rights office (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani insisted yet again that civilians “must never be used as bargaining chips”. She called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of hostages and their humane treatment.

OHCHR urged Palestinian armed groups to “halt the use of inherently indiscriminate projectiles, which violate international humanitarian law, as well as attacks directed against civilians”. The UN office also urged Israel to ensure full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law “in any and all military operations”.

OHCHR said that rhetoric from Israeli high-level officials “raises concerns that a message is being sent to the members of the Israeli Defense Forces that international humanitarian law has become optional rather than compulsory”.

UNICEF’s James Elder also insisted that in this dire situation, “compassion – and international law – must prevail”.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Gaza - Nowhere to go, as humanitarian crisis reaches 'dangerous new low'

Rise in hate speech

Addressing the ever-stronger echoes of the conflict across the world, Ms. Shamdasani said that UN rights chief Volker Türk deplored the fact that in many countries, there has been a “proliferation of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic hate speech”.

Appealing to leaders to stem such hate speech and incitements to violence, the OHCHR spokesperson that faced with this desperate situation, the world should unite.

“This is a time for the international community to come together in solidarity, advocating for the protection of all civilians, no matter where, no matter what,” she insisted.

The UN Security Council is now meeting behind closed doors, to address the situation in Gaza.

Briefing on his way into the chamber, UN chief António Guterres said the situation in Gaza “has reached a dangerous new low.”

He said moving over a million Gazans “across a densely populated warzone to a place with no food, water, or accommodation, when the entire territory is under siege, is extremely dangerous – and in some cases, simply not possible.”

Unending cycle of death and destruction must end – Guterres

Hospitals in the south of Gaza are already at capacity and will not be able to accept thousands of new patients, he stressed. 

Morgues are overflowing, 11 healthcare staff have been killed while on duty; and there have been 34 attacks on health facilities.

“Our United Nations staff and our partners are working around the clock to support the people of Gaza. We mourn for our colleagues who have been killed – a number that is increasing by the day.”

He also expressed deep concern over the exchanges of fire across the Blue Line – the unofficial frontier between south Lebanon and northern Israel – demanding that it stop.

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