He said this at the ministerial conference on humanitarian aid to Gaza organized in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Monday. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi convened the conference.
The senior UN official stressed that there is an urgent need for life-saving assistance in Gaza and that a long-term plan will be needed to transition from the current situation.
Addressing the delegates on behalf of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, he said they had gathered here to increase the level of life-saving assistance to the Palestinian people, ensure preparations for a possible ceasefire and prepare the ground for recovery and reconstruction. .
Restrictions on humanitarian aid
Meanwhile, the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has stopped delivering food and other humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing. The decision was taken on Sunday after armed groups ransacked aid vehicles as they entered Gaza.
UN Commissioner General Filipe Lazzarini said the relief route was proving unsafe over the past few months. Earlier, on November 16, armed groups looted a large convoy of relief trucks after they entered Gaza through the Keram Shalom border crossing.
At the same time, humanitarian aid organizations have expressed concern that the level of malnutrition is deepening in the current situation. 6,000 people have taken refuge there, UNRWA’s senior emergency officer Louise Wateridge said from a school in Deir al-Balah.
Palestinian families are freezing cold, floors are wet and hungry children are crying for a piece of bread.
Children are the worst affected
The UN Deputy Secretary-General noted that according to the Gaza administration, more than 44,000 people have lost their lives due to violent conflict, large-scale displacement of people and disruption of essential services.
Children are the most affected in these situations. In the last four months, 19,000 children have been hospitalized due to malnutrition. Gaza has one of the highest per capita child disability rates in the world and patients are being forced to undergo surgery without anesthesia.
“What we are seeing can be classified as the most serious international crime.”
Amina Mohammed expressed anger at the severe restrictions imposed on humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying that aid levels are insufficient, and that the operation faces other challenges, including looting, unexploded explosives and collapsed roads.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed addresses a conference in Cairo on the humanitarian operation in Gaza.
A political solution is needed
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed stressed the need for a political solution in Gaza and reiterated her call for an unconditional, immediate release of hostages and the implementation of an immediate ceasefire.
Stressing on a two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions, he said the devastation in Gaza is a complete isolation of our common humanity and this nightmare must stop.
Sigrid Kag, UN humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, called for mental health support for children affected by violence and humanitarian crises.
He told delegates gathered in Cairo that Gaza’s recovery needs to prioritize initial steps, such as restoring basic services and infrastructure and promoting economic stability in partnership with the Palestinian Authority.