US UN Representative: Situation in northern Gaza is dire and catastrophic
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, brought the situation in Gaza to the agenda, strongly emphasizing the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
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The US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, issued warnings regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza at the UN Security Council, where issues of famine warnings and food insecurity in Gaza were discussed.
Greenfield described the destruction in the region as "dire and catastrophic" as Israel restricts the passage of humanitarian aid convoys in northern Gaza.
Confirming the data shared by Joyce Msuya, the UN Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, at the meeting, Greenfield said, "An unimaginable number of Palestinian civilians, women, and children have lost their lives. Almost no civilian in Gaza has access to sufficient food, medicine, clean water, or shelter." Greenfield reiterated her call for humanitarian aid, stating, "These people cannot be left to suffer forever."
Referring to the statements by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding the need for an end to armed conflict in Gaza and the reconstruction of the region, Greenfield emphasized the necessity of ending the fighting, the return of hostages to their homes, and ensuring reconstruction with a new administration in Gaza.
Greenfield also stated that the US has been pressuring Israel regarding the delivery of humanitarian aid to northern Gaza and that Israel has taken significant steps following this intervention. However, Greenfield stated that Israel must continue its efforts and issued a warning—without naming names—against policies of forced displacement and starvation. She noted that such practices would have serious consequences under US and international law.
Touching upon the importance of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which provides the majority of humanitarian aid in Gaza, Greenfield reiterated that Israel must halt legislation targeting UNRWA. Addressing Israel's allegations that some UNRWA personnel were linked to Hamas, Greenfield emphasized that these allegations should be investigated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, but that these investigations should not disrupt UNRWA's vital aid.