New York (Thursday Times) — UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addressed the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, and sounded an alarm about the deteriorating situation in Gaza. He raised the specter of public order disintegrating and the mounting pressure for mass displacement across the border into Egypt.
UN Secretary General said that “I fear the consequences could be devastating for the security of the entire region”. He underscored the spillover effect, highlighting that the conflict had already drawn in the Occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen to varying degrees.
The Secretary General mourned the staggering loss of life among UN personnel, with more than 130 colleagues having perished. He described this as the largest single loss of life in the history of the organization, noting that some UN staff members even take their children to work, as they face the grim reality of living or dying together.
Antonio Guterres stated that the conditions for the effective delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza no longer exist. Nevertheless, he stressed the UN’s unwavering commitment to remain and provide assistance to the besieged people of Gaza.
The Secretary General said that the situation on the ground is rapidly becoming untenable. More than 17,000 Palestinians have reportedly lost their lives since the commencement of Israel’s military operations, including over 4,000 women and 7,000 children. Tens of thousands have been injured, and many remain missing, presumably trapped under the rubble.
According to the UN Secretary General, approximately 85 percent of Gaza’s population has been forcibly displaced, and essential infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and UN facilities has been damaged or razed to the ground.
The Secretary General issued a stark warning of the looming threat of starvation and famine, with half the population in northern Gaza and over one-third of displaced individuals in the south already teetering on the brink of malnutrition.
“Attacks from air, land, and sea are intense, continuous, and widespread,” Guterres grimly stated, likening the plight of the people in Gaza to “human pinballs,” who are devoid of even the most basic necessities for survival.
As the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza worsens by the day, Secretary General Antonio Guterres requested the international community to act swiftly and decisively to avert the impending disaster and provide much needed relief to the suffering population.
