The United Nations' senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, called for a paradigm shift to meet the immense needs of the civilian population.
She emphasized that 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.
Kaag told the UN Security Council in a briefing that there is no substitute for political will to sustain these efforts.
Kaag stressed that effective humanitarian operations are not just about counting trucks. Instead, they are about the need for a sustained flow to deliver the right quality and quantity of assistance.
She further added that 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.
Kaag mentioned that the Israeli government has made several commitments on April 5 to improve aid delivery, in response to requests by the UN and the international community.
However, while 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.
She informed that 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.
According to Kaag, 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,"
Kaag 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.
Kaag informed that 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. She further added that the health infrastructure in Gaza has been decimated.
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