The Famine Review Committee issued an alert last Friday, warning of an impending famine in northern Gaza under Israeli siege.
The emergency meeting was then called on Tuesday at the request of Guyana, Switzerland, Algeria and Slovenia.
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilse Brandes-Kehris told delegates to the 15-member Security Council that 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced, many of them multiple times. These include pregnant women, the elderly, the disabled and children.
According to him, Israeli attacks on shelters and residential buildings caused massive loss of life and property and the killing of such a large number of women, men, youth and elderly is unforgivable.
Statistics from the Palestinian Ministry of Health show that on October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.
43,000 people lost their lives and more than 100,000 were injured in the Israeli counter-attack. Many people are feared to be buried under the rubble. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed that 70 percent of those killed in bombings, attacks and violence in Gaza are children and women.
The Assistant Secretary-General said that the violence in Gaza must be stopped immediately, the hostages released unconditionally and humanitarian aid delivered unhindered to the needy Palestinian people to avoid the threat of famine.
In parallel, allegations of serious violations of international law need to be impartially investigated and perpetrators held accountable.
Worrying situation
Ren Paulsen, Director of Emergencies at the Food and Agriculture Organization, briefed Security Council member states on the worsening food situation in northern Gaza.
He said that the famine review committee strongly suspected that famine had either already occurred in some areas of northern Gaza or could soon.
“The agri-food system has collapsed,” and nearly 70 percent of agricultural land has been destroyed or damaged since the violent conflict began last year. About one-third of the daily food requirement could be met from this land.
In view of this, a senior FAO official reiterated his appeal for the implementation of the ceasefire as soon as possible.
Ren Poulsen said the UN agency is ready to increase the scope and level of its efforts to address the threat of famine, but it should not forget that peace is an essential condition for food security.
Also right to food is a fundamental human right.
A pile of rubble
Joyce Masua, the UN’s acting chief for humanitarian coordination, said much of the Gaza Strip was now a pile of rubble.
According to him, it has become a common practice to write ‘Injured child, no family alive’ on the hands of injured children.
There is a severe shortage of essential goods and services for the needy Palestinian population, and electricity is cut off. People do not have enough food and there is a situation of starvation, possibly famine.
OCHA’s top official warned that the actions the world is witnessing are reminiscent of serious international crimes.
Joyce Mosua said rocket attacks on Israel must stop and accountability for international crimes must be determined.