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	End the war in Gaza by UN News, UNICEF, OCHA, agencies   Mar. 2025   Foreign Ministers from France, Germany, Italy, UK back Arab-backed Gaza plan. (DW,agencies)   France, Germany, Italy and the UK said they supported an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza. The plan would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the territory.   "The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises — if implemented — swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza," the foreign ministers of the four countries said in a joint statement.   Arab leaders endorsed the post-war plan, which was put forward by Egypt, to rebuild the Paelstinian enclave. The Arab Summit in Cairo took place after US President Donald Trump floated a widely condemned proposal to turn the Gaza Strip into what he called the "Riviera of the Middle East" and displace its residents.   The the Trump administration has dismissed the proposal. The foreign ministers of the four European countries stressed the importance of recovery and reconstruction efforts built on a framework that "provides long-term peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians alike."   What's in the Arab plan to rebuild Gaza?   The phased reconstruction plan consists of three major stages over five years. An initial six-month recovery phase is aimed at removing debris, de-mining and building temporary housing.   In the first phase, the plan calls for the building of 200,000 housing units in Gaza over the next two years. A second stage will see 200,000 more housing units.   By 2030, the plan foresees hundreds of thousands of new homes housing up to 3 million people as well as an airport, industrial zones, hotels and parks. Under its proposal, Gaza would be governed by a reformed Palestinian Authority.   "We explicitly support the central role for the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its reform agenda," according to the statement issued by the four European countries. France, Germany, Italy and the UK also supported the call for the removal of Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States and the European Union. "Hamas must neither govern Gaza nor be a threat to Israel anymore," the joint statement said.   http://www.dw.com/en/france-germany-italy-uk-hail-arab-backed-gaza-plan/a-71866984 http://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250308-muslim-nations-adopt-arab-alternative-to-trump-s-gaza-plan   Feb. 2025   US proposal to ‘take over’ Gaza would shatter fundamental rules of international order, warn UN experts. (OHCHR)   UN experts today condemned shocking threats by US President Donald Trump to “take over” and “own” Gaza and move the Palestinian population elsewhere, using military force if necessary.   “Such blatant violations by a major power would break the global taboo on military aggression and embolden other predatory countries to seize foreign territories, with devastating consequences for peace and human rights globally,” they said.   “Implementing the US proposal would shatter the most fundamental rules of the international order and the United Nations Charter since 1945, that the US was instrumental in creating to restore peace after the catastrophic Second World War and Holocaust. It would return the world to the dark days of colonial conquest,” the experts said.   “It is manifestly illegal to invade and annex foreign territory by force, to forcibly deport its population, and to deprive the Palestinian people of their inalienable right to self-determination, including to retain Gaza within a sovereign Palestinian state,” they said.   “Such violations would replace the international rule of law and the stability it brings with the lawless “rule of the strongest.” International law aims to stop predatory countries from violently colonising foreign lands and subjugating their populations, which inevitably leads to gross human rights violations,” they said.   “Just as over half a century of Israeli occupation of Palestine has not brought peace or security to Israel or Palestine, US occupation would be similarly ruinous and fuel perpetual war, death and destruction,” they said.   The mass deportation of civilians from occupied territory was recognised as a war crime under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 after the Second World War, to prevent the recurrence of acts such as Nazi Germany’s expulsion of populations from European countries. Today, it is also a crime against humanity.   “The US proposal would accelerate forced displacement of Palestinians from their lands, which began in the 1947-48 Nakba, and has since included home demolitions, evictions, destruction and theft of natural resources and the criminal building of illegal Israeli colonial settlements,” they said.   In his previous term, President Trump illegally recognised Israel’s unlawful annexations of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, which have been rejected by the International Court of Justice, the General Assembly, the Security Council and an overwhelming majority of countries.   “If the US President is genuinely concerned for the welfare of Palestinians, the US should broker a lasting ceasefire, resume funding to UNRWA, compensate Palestinians for damage resulting from US weapons and munitions supplied to Israel despite the serious risk of violations of humanitarian law, and end arms transfers. It should also pressure Israel to fund reconstruction and provide reparation for violations, pursue accountability for perpetrators of international crimes, and meaningfully support Palestinian statehood,” they said.   The experts also urged the United States to support the multilateral bodies that protect human rights in Palestine, including the Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, which advance US national interests in liberty and justice.   Israeli military attacks in Gaza have killed over 48,100 Palestinians and injured 110,000, the majority women and children. They left 85 per cent of the population, about 1.9 million people, homeless and deprived of adequate food, water and other essentials, damaged or destroyed most housing, agricultural and public infrastructure and devastated the environment.   “All countries who care about human rights and the international rule of law should resolutely oppose the US President’s illegal threats. The world must never again accept a lawless world dominated by brute force that endangers us all,” they warned.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/02/us-proposal-take-over-gaza-would-shatter-fundamental-rules-international http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/02/hc-turk-occupied-palestinian-territory-any-plans-better-future-must http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/02/experts-urge-humane-treatment-and-immediate-release-israeli-hostages-and http://www.ohchr.org/en/media-centre/news-situation-occupied-palestinian-territory-israel-and-lebanon http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/the-reality-of-gazas-fragile-ceasefire-current-and-future-risks-for-atrocities-in-occupied-palestinian-territory-and-israel/   15 Jan. 2025   Gaza ceasefire deal agreed by Israel and Hamas, Qatar and US say. (BBC News)   Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire and partial hostage release deal following 15 months of war, mediators Qatar and the US say.   Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the agreement would come into effect on Sunday so long as it was approved by the Israeli cabinet. US President Joe Biden said it would "halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families".   Many Palestinians and Israeli hostages' families celebrated the news, but there was no let up in the war on the ground in Gaza.   Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel says 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead.   More than 46,700 people have been killed in Gaza and over 106,000 injured since the start of the conflict, according to the territory's health ministry. Most of the 2.3 million population has been displaced multiple times, there is widespread destruction, and severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.   Qatar's prime minister called for "calm" on both sides before the start of the first six-week phase of the ceasefire deal, which he said would see 33 hostages - including women, children and elderly people - exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.   Israeli forces will also withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes and hundreds of aid lorries will be allowed into the territory each day to meet the desperate needs of the population.   Under the terms of the deal negotiations for the second phase - which aims to see the remaining hostages released, a full Israeli troop withdrawal and a return to "sustainable calm" - will start on the 16th day. The third and final stage will involve the reconstruction of Gaza - something which could take years.   Sheikh Mohammed said: "We hope that this will be the last page of the war, and we hope that all parties will commit to implementing all the terms of this agreement".   The big challenge is making sure the ceasefire holds. Senior diplomats fear that after the first phase of 42 days the war could resume. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said; "I want to emphasize this peace, that may now have been achieved, is very fragile. This is just phase one. We must move to phase two and three and a complete ceasefire, and the day after." It is also not known whether Israel will agree to completely pull out of Gaza, or whether its presence there will be open-ended.   http://www.unocha.org/news/gaza-ceasefire-offers-hope-stakes-remain-high-says-un-relief-chief http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159031 http://press.un.org/en/2025/sgsm22523.doc.htm http://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-russell-announcement-ceasefire-gaza http://www.savethechildren.net/news/gaza-any-pause-must-become-definitive-ceasefire-protect-children-and-allow-life-saving http://www.wfp.org/stories/gaza-ceasefire-wfp-calls-sustained-opening-humanitarian-corridors http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/01/un-human-rights-chief-relieved-gaza-ceasefire-urges-prompt-implementation http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/icrc-president-icrc-ready-help-implement-agreement-reached-parties-and-bring-hostages   http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/january/gaza-ceasefire-must-lead-to-lasting-truce-and-trigger-massive-aid-expansion http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/gaza-ceasefire-must-propel-humanitarian-action http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/as-ceasefire-in-gaza-is-declared-action-against-hunger-calls-for-increased-humanitarian-aid/ http://www.care-international.org/news/long-awaited-gaza-ceasefire-must-end-bloodshed-ushers-hope-scaled-assistance http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/gaza-ceasefire-does-nothing-tackle-root-causes-conflict-says-christian-aid http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/oxfam-welcomes-gaza-ceasefire-and-calls-massive-influx-aid http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/15/gaza-ceasefire-action-needed-end-atrocities http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/15/the-devastating-impact-of-15-months-of-war-on-gaza   26 Dec. 2024   Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder on continued deaths of children in Gaza:   “In the final days of the year, there seems to be no end in sight to the deadly threats to children in Gaza. Over the past three days, at least eleven children have reportedly been killed in attacks. Now, we are also witnessing children dying from the cold and a lack of adequate shelter.   “According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, four newborns and infants have died from hypothermia in recent days. These preventable deaths lay bare the desperate and deteriorating conditions facing families and children across Gaza. With temperatures expected to drop further in the coming days, it is tragically foreseeable that more children's lives will be lost to the inhumane conditions they are enduring, which offer no protection from the cold.   “2024 has been a year of unimaginable hardship for families in Gaza. Beyond the constant threat of attacks, many live without adequate shelter, nutrition, or healthcare. Cold injuries, such as frostbite and hypothermia, pose grave risks to young children in tents and other makeshift shelters that are ill-equipped for freezing weather. For newborns, infants, and medically vulnerable children, the danger is even more acute.   “UNICEF teams on the ground continue to work tirelessly, distributing winter clothing, blankets, and emergency supplies to children. But the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver life-saving aid at the scale required remains severely restricted. In November, an average of 65 truckloads of assistance entered Gaza daily, far too little to adequately address the urgent needs of children, women and other civilians. The most northern part of Gaza has now been under a near-total siege for more than two months.   “Safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to and within the Gaza Strip to reach affected populations wherever they are, including in the north, is critical. All access crossings must be opened, including for sufficient fuel and materials needed to run and rehabilitate essential infrastructure and commercial supplies. Safe movement for humanitarian workers and supplies across the Gaza Strip must be guaranteed to safely reach the communities in desperate need.   “As we approach a new year, children have the right to a future free from fear and full of promise. This begins with an immediate, durable ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and a renewed commitment to work together to address the urgent needs of children and their families.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-regional-director-middle-east-and-north-africa-edouard-beigbeder http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-our-effort-save-lives-survivors-gaza-breaking-point http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-calls-international-community-break-cycle-violence-gaza http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1158746 http://www.wfp.org/news/statement-shooting-wfp-convoy-gaza   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-middle-east-and-north-africa-regional-director-edouard-beigbeder-0 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/cold-sick-and-traumatized-ongoing-nightmare-children-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-children-and-continued http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158406 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/regular-attacks-put-gaza-schools-turned-shelters-frontlines-war http://www.savethechildren.net/news/nowhere-safe-gaza-attacks-north-and-hospital-ablaze-south-put-lives-children-and-families-risk http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/icrc-humanitarian-aid-remains-urgent-necessity-alleviate-tide-suffering-gaza http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-114/en/   1 Nov. 2024   Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee - Stop the assault on Palestinians in Gaza and on those trying to help them:   We the leaders of 15 United Nations and humanitarian organizations urge, yet again, all parties fighting in Gaza to protect civilians, and call on the State of Israel to cease its assault on Gaza and on the humanitarians trying to help.   The situation unfolding in North Gaza is apocalyptic. The area has been under siege for almost a month, denied basic aid and life-saving supplies while bombardment and other attacks continue. Just in the past few days, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and thousands have once again been forcibly displaced.   Hospitals have been almost entirely cut off from supplies and have come under attack, killing patients, destroying vital equipment, and disrupting life-saving services. Health workers and patients have been taken into custody. Fighting has also reportedly taken place inside hospitals.   Dozens of schools serving as shelters have been bombed or forcibly evacuated. Tents sheltering displaced families have been shelled, and people have been burned alive.   Rescue teams have been deliberately attacked and thwarted in their attempts to pull people buried under the rubble of their homes.   The needs of women and girls are overwhelming and growing every day. We have lost contact with those we support and those who provide lifesaving essential services for sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence.   And we have received reports of civilians being targeted while trying to seek safety, and of men and boys being arrested and taken to unknown locations for detention.   Livestock are also dying, crop lands have been destroyed, trees burned to the ground, and agrifood systems infrastructure has been decimated.   The entire Palestinian population in North Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence.   Humanitarian aid cannot keep up with the scale of the needs due to the access constraints. Basic, life-saving goods are not available. Humanitarians are not safe to do their work and are blocked by Israeli forces and by insecurity from reaching people in need.   In a further blow to the humanitarian response, the polio vaccination campaign has been delayed due to the fighting, putting the lives of children in the region at risk.   And this week, the Israeli Parliament adopted legislation that would ban UNRWA and revoke its privileges and immunities. If implemented, such measures would be a catastrophe for the humanitarian response in Gaza, diametrically opposed to the United Nations Charter, with potential dire impacts on the human rights of the millions of Palestinians depending on UNRWA’s assistance, and in violation of Israel’s obligations under international law. Let us be very clear: There is no alternative to UNRWA.   The blatant disregard for basic humanity and for the laws of war must stop. International humanitarian law, including the rules of distinction, proportionality and precautions, must be respected. IHL obligations do not depend on reciprocity. No violation by one party ever releases the other from its legal obligations.   Attacks against civilians and what remains of civilian infrastructure in Gaza must stop.   Humanitarian relief must be facilitated, and we urge all parties to provide unimpeded access to affected people. Additionally, commercial goods must be allowed to enter Gaza.   The wounded and sick must receive the care they need. Medical personnel and hospitals must be spared. Hospitals should not turn into battlegrounds. Unlawfully detained Palestinians must be released. Israel must comply with the provisional orders and determinations of the International Court of Justice.   Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups must release the hostages immediately and unconditionally and must abide by international humanitarian law.   Member States must use their leverage to ensure respect for international law. This includes withholding arms transfers where there is a clear risk that such arms will be used in violation of international law.   The entire region is on the edge of a precipice. An immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustained, unconditional ceasefire are long overdue.   http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-stop-assault-palestinians-gaza-and-those-trying   23 Sep. 2024   Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory:   As world leaders gather in New York for the 79th United Nations General Assembly, and as the threat of a wider regional escalation looms, we renew our demand for an end to the appalling human suffering and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.   We mourn the loss of innocent life everywhere, including those killed on October 7 and during the 11 months of conflict since then.   We urgently call for a sustained, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. This is the only way to end the suffering of civilians and save lives.   All hostages and all those arbitrarily detained must be released immediately and unconditionally.   Humanitarians must have safe and unimpeded access to those in need. We cannot do our jobs in the face of overwhelming need and ongoing violence.   More than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza – the majority of them civilians, including women, children, older persons and at times entire families – have reportedly been killed, and more than 95,500 have been injured, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.   It is estimated that a quarter of the injured in Gaza, or around 22,500 people, will require lifelong specialized rehabilitation and assistive care including individuals with severe limb injuries, amputations, spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and major burns.   More than 2 million Palestinians are without protection, food, water, sanitation, shelter, health care, education, electricity and fuel – the basic necessities to survive. Families have been forcibly displaced, time and time again, from one unsafe place to the next, with no way out. Women and girls’ dignity, safety, health and rights have been severely compromised.   The risk of famine persists with all 2.1 million residents still in urgent need of food and livelihood assistance as humanitarian access remains restricted.   Healthcare has been decimated. More than 500 attacks on health care have been recorded in Gaza. Aid hubs have been forced to relocate and re-build many times over; convoys carrying life-saving aid have been shot at, delayed and denied access; and relief workers have been killed in unprecedented numbers. The number of aid workers killed in Gaza in the past year is the highest ever in a single crisis.   Unnecessary and disproportionate force unleashed in the West Bank, combined with escalating settler violence, house demolitions, forced displacement and discriminatory movement restrictions, have caused increased fatalities and casualties.   The war is also jeopardizing the future for all Palestinians and rendering eventual recovery far from reach.   Meanwhile, close to 100 hostages remain in Gaza, while freed hostages have reported ill treatment, including sexual violence.   The parties’ conduct over the last year makes a mockery of their claim to adhere to international humanitarian law and the minimum standards of humanity that it demands.   Civilians must be protected and their essential needs must be met. There must be accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.   Humanitarian and aid organizations have been doing their utmost to provide relief in Gaza and the West Bank, often at great personal risk, and with many aid workers paying the ultimate price.   Our capacity to deliver is indisputable if we are granted the access we need. The first round of the polio vaccination campaign, reaching more than 560,000 children under the age of 10, is but one example. The second round of vaccinations must be carried out safely and reach all children in Gaza.   We urge world leaders, once again, to wield their influence to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law and the rulings of the International Court of Justice – through diplomatic pressure and cooperation in ending impunity.   Let us be clear: The protection of civilians is a bedrock principle for the global community and in all countries’ interest. Allowing the abhorrent, downward spiral caused by this war in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to continue will have unimaginable, global consequences. These atrocities must end.   http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-situation-occupied-palestinian-territory-these http://www.care-international.org/news/israels-siege-now-blocks-83-food-aid-reaching-gaza-new-data-reveals http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/one-year-unimaginable-suffering-7-october-attack-enarhe http://reliefweb.int/country/pse http://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2024-10-07/secretary-generals-message-mark-one-year-the-attacks-of-7-october-2023-scroll-down-for-arabic-chinese-french-hebrew-russian-and-spanish http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/year-loss-and-pain-icrc-appeals-human-dignity-and-urgent-action-ease-suffering http://www.nrc.no/news/2024/october/israel-gaza-conflict-only-ceasefire-can-end-suffering-for-civilians-after-catastrophic-year/   http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza http://news.un.org/en/focus-topic/middle-east http://www.ochaopt.org/updates http://reliefweb.int/country/pse http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements http://www.unrwa.org/ http://www.unocha.org/news/security-council-ocha-reiterates-call-end-intolerable-toll-gaza-conflict http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153251 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153216 http://www.care-international.org/news/nowhere-safe-gaza-attacks-al-mawassi-kill-dozens-people-and-leave-hundreds-more-injured http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/gaza-hunger-figures-reflect-shameful-failure-global-leaders-oxfam http://www.msf.org/latest-massacres-gaza-illustrate-complete-dehumanisation-palestinians http://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine-united-states/gaza-ceasefire http://www.crisisgroup.org/crisiswatch/may-trends-and-june-alerts-2024 http://reliefweb.int/report/world/conflict-trends-global-overview-1946-2023 http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/07/1152296   May 2024   Ms. Joyce Msuya, UN Assistant-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator - Opening Remarks at the Ninth Conference on Effective Partnership for Better Humanitarian Aid (Kuwait, 12 May 2024):   "The war in Gaza has become a moral stain on the conscience of our collective humanity. As we gather here today, the war in Gaza, now in its eighth month, has entered yet another horrifying phase.   Despite repeated appeals, Israel moved ahead with its military offensive in Rafah and seized control of the Gaza side of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom border crossings earlier this week.   As warned, this has triggered new and more challenges. These crossings are a lifeline for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in need.   This spells further catastrophe for more than a million people who have been forcibly displaced to Rafah to escape fighting, disease and hunger elsewhere. Seven months of fighting have turned Gaza into a hellscape for millions trapped under incessant bombardment.   The war has killed some 35,000 people; 70,000 more are wounded or missing, with many more trapped under the rubble. For months, women and children have been killed at a rate that exceeds any war in this century.   And those who’ve escaped death and injury now risk losing their lives because of a lack of food, safe water, medicine and healthcare.   Every day, scores of women give birth in horrifying conditions, often without anesthesia or medical aid, as bombs explode around them. Mothers watch their babies die in their arms because they don’t have enough milk to keep them alive. And children are dying because they don’t have enough food or water.   What aid makes it into Gaza is being delivered by humanitarian workers who are forced to navigate checkpoints, unexploded bombs, lawlessness and intense fighting – at tremendous risk to their own lives.   The courage of the frontline responders as they risk everything to reduce the suffering is astonishing. Doctors are refusing to abandon patients, putting their lives on the line as medical facilities are attacked. And humanitarian workers continue to work for others even as they flee their own homes.   For our part, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – or OCHA – continues to do everything it can.   We are in daily access negotiations with the parties. We are coordinating the humanitarian response. We are supporting the humanitarian community. We are advocating for the protection of civilians and respect for the laws of war at the highest level.   We have pulled people out of the rubble and repatriated the bodies of aid workers, including those working for World Central Kitchen and Médecins Sans Frontieres who were killed serving those in need.   OCHA also works on behalf of dozens of UN agencies and NGOs to share the coordinates of humanitarian convoys and premises so that the warring sides will not harm them. And we continue to lead humanitarian missions to northern Gaza.   We have also worked since the beginning of the conflict to continually assess the needs of the Palestinian people, which is why we’re appealing for $2.8 billion to support more than three million people in Gaza and the West Bank over the next eight months.   This war – which has caused such pain, suffering and grief – must end so that the Palestinian people can begin to confront the trauma inflicted on them.   I echo the Secretary-General’s longstanding call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages.   Even in the absence of a ceasefire, there is still much we can do given the right conditions. The UN and our partners, many of whom are in this room today, deliver aid in conflict zones around the world. Gaza should be no different.   To reach people in need, we need multiple, reliable entry points for aid. We need law and order. And humanitarian workers must be protected, and not attacked. Until we have safe routes, the flow of aid simply will not match the enormous scale of the catastrophe.   We also need Israeli authorities to abide by their obligations to facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid and humanitarian workers.   This includes for UNRWA, which has been the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza for decades and is best positioned to respond to the dire needs of the Palestinian people.   Despite the immense challenges, we have strengthened our partnerships with local organizations, working hand-in-hand with our Palestinian partners to support those in need.   This has been particularly crucial when it comes to organizations led by Palestinian women working on the frontline. These organizations have access that others simply do not. We must do everything in our power to continue to support their heroic efforts to reach Gaza’s women and girls, who have been forced to bear the war’s very worst horrors.   When I think about what effective humanitarian partnerships are built on, I think of the shared values that define and unite the humanitarian community – our impartiality, our neutrality and our independence, even in the most politicized conflicts.   And I think of how these values emerge from a shared acknowledgment of our common humanity, a recognition that those most vulnerable to the depravities of war – the women, children, elderly and those with disabilities – must remain our focus.   So, as we gather here today, let us recall these shared values and recognize their importance – not only in meeting the urgency of today’s growing needs, but also in building and strengthening the partnerships that will be needed to rebuild Gaza once the war ends.   There is complex and fraught work ahead of us. But if we can hold onto the values that unite us as humanitarians, then I know we will navigate these difficulties the best we can, in ways that ensure we continue to reach people whose lives have been shattered by a war of unimaginable horror".   http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/ms-joyce-msuya-assistant-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-deputy-emergency-relief-coordinator-opening-remarks-ninth-conference-effective-partnership-better-humanitarian-aid-kuwait-12-may-2024   5 Apr. 2024 (UN News)   Marking six months of war since the “abhorrent” Hamas-led terror attacks of 7 October, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told journalists at UN Headquarters that nothing could justify the horror unleashed by Palestinian militants that day.   “I once again utterly condemn the use of sexual violence, torture injuring and kidnapping of civilians, the firing of rockets towards civilian targets and the use of human shields”, he said, calling again for the unconditional release of all hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip. Having met many of the family members of those held captive “I carry their anguish, uncertainty and deep pain with me every day”, added Mr. Guterres.   But the past six months of Israel’s military campaign has also brought “relentless death and destruction to Palestinians”, with over 32,000 reported killed, the vast majority women and children.   “Lives are shattered. Respect for international law is in tatters”, he said. The resulting humanitarian disaster is unprecedented, with more than a million “facing catastrophic hunger.”   Children are dying due to lack of food and water: “This is incomprehensible and entirely avoidable”, the UN chief declared, repeating that nothing can justify such collective punishment.   Mr. Guterres said he was deeply troubled by reports that the Israeli military has been using AI to help identify targets during its relentless bombing of densely populated areas of Gaza.   “No part of life and death decisions which impact entire families should ever be delegated to the cold calculation of algorithms”, he said. AI should not be used to wage war “on an industrial level, blurring accountability.”   Branding the war “the deadliest of conflicts”, he highlighted that 196 humanitarians including over 175 UN staffers have been killed, the vast majority serving with Palestine relief agency UNRWA.   And following the appalling killing of the seven staffers with World Central Kitchen, the main problem is not who made the mistakes but “the military strategy and procedures in place that allow for those mistakes to multiply time and time again”, the Secretary-General said. “Fixing these failures requires independent investigations and meaningful and measurable changes on the ground.”   He noted last week’s Security Council resolution calling for hostages releases, civilian protection and unimpeded aid delivery. “All those demands must be implemented. Failure would unforgivable”, he said, noting the the threat of mass starvation in Gaza. “Dramatic humanitarian conditions require a quantum leap in the delivery of life-saving aid – a true paradigm shift.”   The violations committed since 7 October in Israel and Gaza, as well as the destruction and suffering of civilians in Gaza are unprecedented, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said, warning that the risk of further atrocity crimes is high.   OHCHR underlined the need to ensure aid deliveries and the protection of humanitarian workers, noting that attacks against them may amount to war crimes.   The airstrikes that killed the World Central Kitchen personnel underline the horrific conditions under which humanitarians are operating in Gaza, said Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence.   Following the attacks, World Central Kitchen and other NGOs suspended aid delivery and distributions in Gaza, “increasing the already real risk of more deaths from famine and disease at larger scale.”   Mr. Laurence recalled that international law requires all warring parties to respect and protect humanitarian personnel and ensure their safety, security, and freedom of movement.   As the occupying power, Israel has the additional obligation to ensure, to the fullest extent possible, that the basic needs of Gaza’s population are met. This means the authorities must either ensure that people can access food and medical care or facilitate the work of humanitarians delivering this assistance.   “Attacking people or objects involved in humanitarian assistance may amount to a war crime,” he said.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1149176 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/gazas-children-trapped-cycle-suffering http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-97/en/ http://www.who.int/news/item/18-03-2024-famine-in-gaza-is-imminent--with-immediate-and-long-term-health-consequences http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/gaza-halt-war-now-save-children-dying-imminent-famine-un-committee-warns http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/children-gaza-need-lifesaving-support http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/acute-malnutrition-has-doubled-one-month-north-gaza-strip-unicef http://reliefweb.int/country/pse   21 Feb. 2024   Civilians in Gaza in extreme peril while the world watches on: Ten requirements to avoid an even worse catastrophe - Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee:   In the less than five months that followed the brutal 7 October attacks and the ensuing escalation, tens of thousands of Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed and injured in the Gaza Strip. More than three quarters of the population have been forced from their homes, many multiple times, and face severe shortages of food, water, sanitation and healthcare – the basic necessities to survive.   The health system continues to be systematically degraded, with catastrophic consequences. As of 19 February, only 12 out of 36 hospitals with inpatient capacity are still functioning, and only partially. There have been more than 370 attacks on health care in Gaza since 7 October.   Diseases are rampant. Famine is looming. Water is at a trickle. Basic infrastructure has been decimated. Food production has come to a halt. Hospitals have turned into battlefields. One million children face daily traumas.   Rafah, the latest destination for well over 1 million displaced, hungry and traumatized people crammed into a small sliver of land, has become another battleground in this brutal conflict. Further escalation of violence in this densely populated area would cause mass casualties. It could also deal a death blow to a humanitarian response that is already on its knees.   There is no safe place in Gaza. Humanitarian workers, themselves displaced and facing shelling, death, movement restrictions and a breakdown of civil order, continue efforts to deliver to those in need. But faced with so many obstacles – including safety and movement restrictions – they can only do so much.   No amount of humanitarian response will make up for the months of deprivation that families in Gaza have endured. This is our effort to salvage the humanitarian operation so that we can provide, at the very least, the bare essentials: medicine, drinking water, food, and shelter as temperatures plummet.   For this, we need:   An immediate ceasefire. Civilians and the infrastructure they rely on to be protected. The hostages to be released immediately. Reliable entry points that would allow us to bring aid in from all possible crossings, including to northern Gaza. Security assurances and unimpeded passage to distribute aid, at scale, across Gaza, with no denials, delays and access impediments.   A functioning humanitarian notification system that allows all humanitarian staff and supplies to move within Gaza and deliver aid safely. Roads to be passable and neighborhoods to be cleared of explosive ordnance. A stable communication network that allows humanitarians to move safely and securely.   UNRWA, the backbone of the humanitarian operations in Gaza, to receive the resources it needs to provide life-saving assistance. A halt to campaigns that seek to discredit the United Nations and non-governmental organizations doing their best to save lives.   Humanitarian agencies remain committed, despite the risks. But they cannot be left to pick up the pieces.   We are calling on Israel to fulfil its legal obligation, under international humanitarian and human rights law, to provide food and medical supplies and facilitate aid operations, and on the world’s leaders to prevent an even worse catastrophe from happening.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-civilians-gaza-extreme-peril http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/acute-malnutrition-has-doubled-one-month-north-gaza-strip-unicef http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-civilians-gaza-extreme-peril-while-world http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/statement-commissioner-general-unrwa-general-assembly http://actionaid.org/news/2024/gaza-airdrops-and-sea-routes-are-no-alternative-aid-delivery-land http://www.un.org/en/situation-in-occupied-palestine-and-israel   http://www.who.int/news/item/19-02-2024-children-s-lives-threatened-by-rising-malnutrition-in-the-gaza-strip http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msf-un-security-council-people-gaza-need-immediate-and-sustained-ceasefire-now http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2024/report-projects-excess-deaths-due-gaza-crisis http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-we-cannot-abandon-people-gaza http://www.care-international.org/news/un-member-states-must-restore-funding-unrwa-ingos-warn   http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-tells-security-council-take-urgent-action-end-war-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-risk-famine-gaza-strip http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/barely-drop-drink-children-gaza-strip-do-not-access-90-cent-their-normal-water-use http://www.wfp.org/stories/humanitarian-operations-risk-conflict-strangles-gaza http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/catastrophic-hunger-crisis-declared-in-gaza-by-international-food-security-and-nutrition-experts/   http://www.wfp.org/news/statement-world-food-programme-growing-humanitarian-catastrophe-gaza http://www.savethechildren.net/news/nowhere-go-over-one-million-children-gaza-risk-being-killed http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/war-children-resumes-geneva-palais-briefing-note http://www.who.int/news/item/04-12-2023-who-appeals-for-protection-of-the-health-system-from-further-attacks-and-degradation-of-its-capacity http://www.msf.org/letter-gaza-un-security-council http://www.nrc.no/news/2024/december/gaza-statement-december/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell Visit the related web page
	Violations of international humanitarian law have a devastating impact on millions of lives by Jan Egeland, Martin Griffiths, Filippo Grandi OCHA, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees   Alarming drop in global funding to people in war and crisis, by Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council.   Halfway into 2024, only 18 percent of the funding needed for humanitarian assistance globally has been received.   “At a time when the world is falling apart for millions of people, we are seeing an increasing trend of international neglect. I have never before seen such a glaring gap between the need for lifesaving aid and available funding. The overall level of humanitarian assistance is totally insufficient, and just a few crises receive funding and attention while most are forgotten,” warned Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council.   “The gap between the growing needs and the available funding has increased over the last decade, but last year was the first year with an actual drop in the amount of funding for humanitarian appeals. The outlook for this year is even bleaker, and more people in dire need are likely to be left without any support at all.”   Humanitarian needs continued to grow during the first half of the year, and 48.7 billion dollars are currently needed to meet the most acute needs. A vast shortfall has developed, with only 9 billion dollars (18 per cent) received as of June 2024 according to OCHA’s mid-year update.   “It is devastating that nations are able to send satellites to the far side of the moon, but unwilling to prevent children from starving to death here on Earth,” said Egeland. “We are reliant on contributions from just a few countries, whilst many nations capable of providing more assistance are doing far too little,” added Egeland.   Around the world, food and cash assistance programmes are being cut. NRC staff have witnessed refugees returning to unsafe conflict areas owing to the reduction of support in their host communities. Others are forced to sell possessions – including farming tools which could otherwise support food security.   The lack of funding for humanitarian assistance is in several countries also compounded by cuts or suspension in development assistance, as documented in a recent report by the Norwegian Refugee Council.   “Suspension of development assistance in many countries affected by political crises means the root causes of crisis situations are not being addressed, while humanitarian funds are being exhausted responding to a multitude of needs. It is vital that development financing actors remain engaged.”   * NRC: "The gap between the total humanitarian appeals by the UN and partners and the money received amounted to $32 billion in 2023. This means 57% of needs were unmet (OCHA). The pre-tax income of the world’s 5 most profitable companies as as follows: Saudi Aramco (247.43 BN USD), Apple (114.3 BN USD), Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett) (100.3 BN USD), Microsoft 95.02 (BN USD), and Alphabet (Google parent company) (78.78 BN USD). This totals 635.83 billion USD. 5% of each of the companies' profits is equal to 31.8 BN USD (Statista)".   http://www.nrc.no/news/2024/july/alarming-drop-in-global-funding-to-people-in-war-and-crisis http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2024-mid-year-update http://www.unocha.org/news/un-deputy-relief-chief-funding-shortages-force-tougher-aid-decisions http://www.unocha.org/latest/news-and-stories http://reliefweb.int/report/world/wfp-global-operational-response-plan-2024-update-11-june-2024-new-synopsis-format http://www.wfp.org/publications/hunger-hotspots-fao-wfp-early-warnings-acute-food-insecurity-june-october-2024-outlook http://www.fao.org/emergencies/en http://www.fightfoodcrises.net/hunger-hotspots/en http://www.ipcinfo.org/   12 June 2024   G7 leaders can and must prevent man-made famine, by Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator:   As the Group of Seven (G7) meets in Italy tomorrow, conflicts in Sudan, Gaza and beyond are raging out of control. War is pushing millions of people to the brink of starvation. Only technicalities prevent famines from being declared, as people are already dying of hunger.   Famine in the 21st century is a preventable scourge. G7 leaders can and must wield their influence to help stop it. Waiting for an official declaration of famine before acting would be a death sentence for hundreds of thousands of people and a moral outrage.   Conflict is fueling hunger in too many corners of the world – from Mali to Myanmar – but nowhere is the choice between inaction and oblivion so clear as in Gaza and Sudan.   In Gaza, half of the population – more than one million people – is expected to face death and starvation by the middle of July.   In Sudan, at least 5 million people are also teetering on the brink of starvation. Communities in more than 40 hunger hotspots are at high risk of slipping into famine in the coming month, including in war-torn parts of Aj Jazirah, Darfur, Khartoum and Kordofan.   And in both Gaza and Sudan, intense fighting, unacceptable restrictions and meagre funding are preventing aid workers from delivering food, water, seeds, health care and other lifesaving assistance at anywhere near the scale necessary to prevent mass starvation. This must change – we cannot afford to lose even a minute.   Though we will continue to do our part to save lives where we can, ultimately, humanitarian aid is not the solution to the conflicts robbing millions of people of the lives they deserve.   Countries in the G7 must immediately bring their substantial political leverage and financial resources to bear so that aid organizations can reach all people in need. We must move large amounts of humanitarian assistance across borders and battle lines today – and mobilize considerable funding to keep the response going tomorrow.   But more than anything, the world must stop feeding the war machines that are starving the civilians of Gaza and Sudan. It is time instead to prioritize the diplomacy that will give people back their futures – and tomorrow, the G7 is at the helm.   http://www.unocha.org/news/g7-leaders-can-and-must-prevent-manmade-famine   Statement by Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the United Nations Security Council. (30 May 2024):   The number of those who have been forced to flee their homes by war, violence and persecution reached 114 million at our latest count. Next month we will update this figure. It will be higher. The political solutions needed to solve displacement obviously continue to be absent.   I last briefed this Council in October. Back then, I shared my views on several crises and warned that humanitarians, while not giving up, were near breaking point. Seven months have passed but the situation has not changed — if at all, it has grown worse. So, most regrettably, I will have to speak once again about the same crises — and of how they displaced an ever-growing number of people.   Why is this happening? The reasons are multiple, and often related to geopolitics — which is your domain, not mine! Let me however focus on one more immediate factor, that my colleagues and I — and indeed all humanitarians — witness in their everyday work: non-compliance with international humanitarian law. “Non-compliance” is a cold and technical expression: what it means, really, is that parties to conflicts — increasingly, everywhere, almost all of them — have stopped respecting the basic rules of war, and sometimes even pretending to do so; civilians are killed in growing numbers; rape and other forms of sexual violence are used as weapons of war; civilian infrastructure gets hit and destroyed; humanitarian workers become targets.   You hear and discuss this every day. The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross - which is mandated to uphold this body of law – spoke to you last week on the subject. But I want you to hear it from me, too, because we at UNHCR deal with one, specific, consequence of these violations: since this brutal conduct of hostilities meant not only to destroy but also to terrify civilians, civilians — more and more often — have no other choice but to flee, in terror.   What has happened in Gaza since the Hamas attacks last 7th October, and throughout the Israeli offensive, is a case in point. Let me add my voice to those who have been urging you to pursue an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the full resumption of humanitarian aid; and most importantly, to spare no effort to resurrect a real peace process — the only way to ensure peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians.   Unfortunately, none of this has happened yet. The atrocious events in Rafah made us witness once more — and most dramatically — hundreds of thousands of people trying to avoid lethal attacks by moving frantically in the limited, constrained space of southern Gaza, reached only by a trickle of aid; with dozens losing their lives.   Among the many images from this conflict that will haunt us for a long time is that of desperate people trapped and often killed inside a war zone. Their safety should be our — your — paramount concern. And while UNHCR — respecting fully its division of labour with UNRWA — is not and will not be operational there, let me say — from the perspective of my role and my mandate — that while Palestinians should be protected wherever they are, the atrocious dilemma of whether they should exit Gaza — or not — is one that Israel has the clear responsibility to avoid; because yes, there is indeed a universal right to seek asylum, so often responded to by countries neighbouring conflicts, and which I will always advocate for, as a matter of principle.   But in this case, there is also — and especially — the international legal obligation of an occupying power not to force - not to force - the civilian population to flee the territory it occupies. And another forced exodus of Palestinians will only create one more intractable problem and make a solution to this decades-long conflict impossible to find.   The war in Gaza is also a tragic reminder of what happens when conflicts (and by extension a refugee crisis) are left unattended. It must also serve as a call not to forget other unresolved crises.   A stark (and nearby) example is that 13 years after the start of the conflict in Syria, 5.6 million Syrian refugees remain in neighbouring countries, which have also hosted Palestinian refugees for generations, with Lebanon’s plight remaining the most worrying, and tensions over the presence of refugees in that country being again extremely acute; and Jordan, another major host of Syrians, caught squarely between two crises.   The plight of Syrian refugees however gets attention only when other factors emerge — of late, some arrivals of Syrians in EU countries have spurred a flurry of proposals on how to solve the problem, including by sending back refugees to so called “safe areas” in Syria. Let me take the opportunity to reiterate once again our position on this question: the voluntary, safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland is the best solution and their right; though most refugees would like to return one day, very few do currently, with many expressing either fear of being targeted and lack of confidence in the Syrian government, or concern that in Syria living conditions — services, housing, work — are in an abysmal state.   It is the Syrian government that is responsible for addressing the first set of obstacles; and regarding the second, we urge all donor countries to step-up support to early recovery activities as per Security Council Resolution 2642. If we are serious about solving the Syrian refugee problem — and we must be — the only way forward is to overcome political constraints and work on both tracks, with all stakeholders — as UNHCR indeed is already doing.   Meanwhile, violations of international humanitarian law have continued to have a devastating effect on millions of lives around the world, including forcing people to flee. In none of the refugee and displacement crises which I described to you last October have we seen any sign of progress in this respect.   For example, Myanmar, where since my last briefing to you more than 1.5 million people have been displaced by fighting, bringing the total to over three million, with many trying to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. The situation in Rakhine State is especially worrying. The conflict between Myanmar’s armed forces and the Arakan Army has flared up again, displacing different ethnic groups, and with the Rohingya community caught between the parties and targeted with dangerous abuse, stigmatization and forced recruitment; and with humanitarians operating in a high-risk environment, which has already compelled agencies to temporarily relocate from certain areas.   I wish to reiterate here my recent appeal to the parties to ensure the protection of civilians and of aid workers; to the countries neighbouring Myanmar to allow safe access for refugees fleeing for their lives; and to you to ensure that a political process to address Myanmar’s problems is again (and seriously) placed on the international agenda, before some of the consequences further threaten the stability of the region.   In the Democratic Republic of the Congo violence between men with guns is so common that no other place on earth is as dangerous for women and children as the east of that country. And my reaction is not naïve. I worked there. I know the intractable ethnic problems; the plunder of resources by a multiplicity of actors, including states; the regional ramifications; the constant disrespect of the civilian character of IDP sites by armed men, endangering both the displaced and humanitarian workers.   But how can members of the United Nations, how can ‘we the peoples’ pay so little attention and have so much inaction in a place where sex with a child can be bought for less than a cold drink? What a shameful stain on humanity!   We, the humanitarians, are trying to play our part. Last year, President Tshisekedi asked UNHCR to revitalize efforts to find solutions to complex situations of forced displacement across the region’s borders, and especially between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Rwandan government agreed and we resumed dialogue, but in reality, without a broader political process — or at least a political framework — it will be difficult to make progress on the humanitarian side; and aid is increasingly hard to mobilize for the victims of this state of affairs.   Let me touch briefly on Ukraine as it is another theatre of war where international humanitarian law gets violated every day: look at the unrelenting attacks on the Ukrainian power network, which cause enormous hardship on civilians. Attacks do not spare houses and other civilian infrastructure.   Last January, in the heart of winter, I met Ukrainian children going to a makeshift school in the Kharkiv underground because it was the only place that could be kept safe and warm by the local authorities. And displacement — there, too — is increasing again, mostly within the country, and mostly of elderly and other vulnerable people living near the frontlines, requiring urgent and lifesaving humanitarian and psychological support. And as you continue to deal with the war in Ukraine as a political and military issue, don’t lose focus on its deep, devastating human consequences on the people of Ukraine.   The blatant disregard of international humanitarian law by parties to conflicts also makes peace much more difficult to attain. Death, destruction and displacement deepen societal divisions, tearing apart trust and making it difficult to put the pieces of a country back together.   An obvious example is Sudan, which I visited in February and where parties to the conflict keep creating additional obstacles to aid activities with their reluctance to give access to some key areas, preventing humanitarians from helping many of those in need, including through crossborder and cross-line operations, the organization of which remains extremely complicated.   The political backdrop is discouraging: inadequate peace-making efforts or outright support for one of the sides, or the other, are making the conflict much worse. For both sides, disregarding all sense of humanity and consideration for their own people, the solution remains essentially a military one.   As a result, there are now nine million people displaced inside Sudan or refugees in neighbouring countries — some of which, like Chad or South Sudan, are grappling with their own fragilities; a number similar to what we have observed in Ukraine but met with continued neglect and indifference by the international community.   And funding remains completely inadequate. At a conference in Paris in April, over $2 billion in contributions were announced, but very little has materialized so far. Aid activities inside Sudan are funded at only 15% and the refugee operations at 8%. This requires no further comment.   Sudan is also an example of the broader consequences of disrespect for the rules of war and total lack of accountability. First and foremost, of course, on civilians: for instance, almost no child in Sudan has gone to school for months; and here, too, sexual violence is rife, in Darfur and other war zones.   Daily, refugees arriving in Chad tell us of appalling stories of women raped in front of their children and of children murdered in front of their mothers. And I ask you: how can those who fled such horrors ever feel safe enough to return? How can they ever trust those men with guns?   Beyond that, how can Sudan's middle class - the same middle class that somehow held the country together through so much turmoil over the past decades and is now being displaced or destroyed, rebuild the country after this conflict?   Nor should it be a surprise that we have seen a 500% increase in the number of Sudanese arriving in Europe in the year after the outbreak of violence. Most of them never wanted to leave home. But brutal violence has forced them to flee. And insufficient aid in neighbouring countries forced them to move again — especially to North Africa and beyond, towards Europe.   Rich countries are constantly worrying about what they call “irregular movements”. But in this and other situations, they are not doing enough to help people before they entrust themselves to human traffickers. The consequences are inevitable.   So, compliance with international humanitarian law — which of course is an obligation – also has an element of self-interest. It is a grim political landscape the one I see around us, from my humanitarian viewpoint: short sighted foreign policy decisions, often founded on double standards, with lip service paid to compliance with the law, but little muscle flexed even from this Council to actually uphold it and — with it — peace and security.   International humanitarian law is the clearest representation of the effort to find a common ground. And if, at times of war – some of the most horrific and turbulent times humanity can experience – parties must set their differences aside and operate in a way that protects, at least, the lives of civilians (which today I urge them to do), so should you in your day-to-day work.   Last year I called on you to use your voice – not your voices. But this Council’s cacophony has meant that you have instead continued to preside over a broader cacophony of chaos around the world. It is too late for the tens of thousands already killed in Gaza, in Ukraine, in Sudan, in the DRC, in Myanmar and so many other places.   But it is not too late to put your focus and energy on the crises and conflicts that remain unresolved, so that they are not allowed to fester and explode again. It is not too late to step up help for the millions who have been forcibly displaced to return home voluntarily, in safety and with dignity. It is not too late to try and save countless millions more from the scourge of war. Visit the related web page
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