The world has “failed the people of Gaza,” he said. More than 41,000 people have been killed since Israel’s offensive began in response to the October 7 Hamas-led terror attacks. More than 90,000 Gazans have been injured, the majority of them women and children.
“Two million Palestinians are now crammed into a space the size of Shanghai International Airport, existing – not living, but existing – among sewage lakes, piles of garbage and mountains of rubble,” said the UN chief.
“The only certainty they have is that tomorrow will be even worse.”
UNRWA’s sacrifice
Despite being the only beacon of hope, at least 222 UNRWA staff and many other family members have died, some while serving in shelters that came under fire – the highest death toll in UN history.
In addition to the repeated attacks on staff simply for doing their jobs, “the humanitarian response in Gaza is being strangled,” Mr. Guterres said.
“Protection and deconfliction mechanisms for humanitarian aid deliveries have failed. Efforts to expel UNRWA from its headquarters in East Jerusalem continue, and UNRWA has not been spared politically,” he added. “This includes systematic disinformation campaigns that discredit the agency’s lifelong work.”
He pointed to a bill making its way through the Israeli Knesset that aims to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organization, which would ban its activities on Israeli soil.
Trust in UNRWA
“In the face of the catastrophic circumstances, UNRWA remains persistent,” said the Secretary-General, expressing full confidence in the neutrality and impartiality of the organization following an independent investigation into the alleged conspiracy of some of its staff in the October 7 massacres .
“The Member States show the same confidence. Nearly all donors have reversed their funding suspensions, and 123 countries have signed the Statement of Shared Obligations to UNRWA.”
He said there is no alternative to the organization in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
“Now is the time to work on all fronts to step up support for the agency’s critical mission – support with financing that is sufficient, predictable and flexible,” the UN chief concluded.