UN aid chief demands ‘dignity’ for Gaza population

NEW YORK – People living in Gaza deserve to regain their “dignity” rather than merely survive, the UN aid chief said on June 18, as he criticised Israeli obstructions to the distribution of humanitarian assistance.

Tom Fletcher, addressing the United Nations Security Council, acknowledged the flow of aid has improved since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct 10 – with an average of 100 deliveries entering the Palestinian territory each day.

But, he said, “these fragile gains are the bare minimum of what Palestinians need and what we can provide – and what international law demands.”

“We cannot allow the summit of our ambition and our will to be a world where children have sufficient calories to survive and are spared constant bombing, yet remain hungry, bitten by rats, homeless and out of school,” Fletcher added.

“It is not enough to silence the weapons – we must restore dignity.”

Fletcher specifically called for the opening of all crossing points into Gaza and the immediate lifting of Israeli restrictions on the entry of goods such as medical equipment and fuel.

Bushra Khalidi, a humanitarian officer with the NGO Oxfam invited to address the Security Council, called on member states to act with “urgency, with courage, with humanity.” AFP