UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza calls for paradigm shift in aid delivery

The UN Security Council holds a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 24, 2024. The United Nations' senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, on Wednesday called for a paradigm shift to meet the immense needs of the civilian population. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations' senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, on Wednesday called for a paradigm shift to meet the immense needs of the civilian population.

A paradigm shift requires a further scale-up in the quality and quantity of assistance and distribution; irreversible steps to enable safe, secure and unhindered delivery inside Gaza; and planning and timely preparations for early recovery and reconstruction, she told the UN Security Council in a briefing.

There is no substitute for political will to sustain these efforts, she said.

Effective humanitarian operations cannot be reduced to counting trucks. Effective humanitarian operations are about the need for a sustained flow to deliver the right quality and quantity of assistance, she said.

This requires a continued focus on volume, predictability and sustainability of diversified aid to scale up assistance. Humanitarian agencies must be able to move food, medicine and many other supplies safely and via all possible routes and crossings, into and throughout every part of Gaza, she said.

The Israeli government made several commitments on April 5 to improve aid delivery, in response to requests by the UN and the international community. Whilst the implementation of some measures is ongoing, further definitive and urgent steps are needed to set the course for a sustained flow of humanitarian and commercial goods into Gaza in terms of volume, need and reach, said Kaag.

The United Nations is in contact with the Israeli government on other measures that need urgent or continuous implementation. These include issues pertaining to checkpoint procedures, repair of roads, timely clearances to allow humanitarian convoy movements to take place as scheduled, the approval of additional communication devices, armored vehicles and spare parts for critical equipment. Agreement on medical and casualty evacuation is equally urgent, she said.

Delivering aid at scale requires a functioning humanitarian notification system and improved and direct communications between humanitarians and military decision-makers on the ground. Effective and credible deconfliction is vital for all humanitarian actors in Gaza, she said.

"It is our duty to provide protection, support, and, therefore, hope for the Palestinian population in Gaza. It is also our duty to advocate for lasting peace between Israel and a fully independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state," said Kaag.

She echoed the United Nations' grave concern over the prospect of an Israeli operation in Rafah.

Such action would compound an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, with consequences for people already displaced and enduring severe hardships and suffering. The world body's ability to deliver will also be constrained, she warned.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, over 34,000 people have been killed, and tens of thousands have been injured or maimed in Gaza. Livelihoods, homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed, said Kaag.

The health infrastructure in Gaza has been decimated. The few hospitals still standing struggle to operate due to severe shortages of supplies and frequent power outages. As summer draws near and temperatures rise, communicable diseases threaten to sweep through Gaza, she warned.

The scarcity of food and other essential goods has also led to a breakdown in civil order and the gradual unraveling of the social fabric in Gaza. There is no effective law enforcement, she added.

Kaag was appointed senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza per Security Council Resolution 2720, adopted on Dec. 22, 2023. She began work on Jan. 8, 2024.

The United Nations' senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag (Front) speaks at a Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 24, 2024. Kaag on Wednesday called for a paradigm shift to meet the immense needs of the civilian population. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)