UN Security Council Resolution on Aid “Yet to Have an Impact” in Gaza, Says WHO Chief
The World Health Organization Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has stated that a recent resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council aimed at increasing aid to Gaza has “yet to have an impact”. The resolution, which was approved last Friday, calls for humanitarian pauses between Israel and Hamas, increased aid to Gaza, and the creation of conditions that will allow for a sustainable end to fighting.
Despite the resolution, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that meaningful action is needed to address the dire situation in Gaza. In a post on social media, he urged UN Security Council members to urgently turn their recent resolution into reality in Gaza, stating that actions, not words, are what Gaza’s people need.
The World Health Organization has expressed grave concerns over the situation in Gaza, with WHO teams carrying out “high-risk” missions to deliver supplies to hospitals in the war-torn strip. Medical items and fuel were delivered to the Al-Shifa Hospital in the north, where an estimated 50,000 people are seeking shelter. Meanwhile, in the south, teams visited the Al-Amal hospital, where overcrowding and a lack of resources were evident.
The WHO representative, Rik Peeperkorn, highlighted the concern that the new displacement of people in Gaza would strain medical facilities even further, leading to increased risk of infectious diseases and making it harder to deliver humanitarian aid.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has reiterated his call on the international community to take urgent steps to alleviate the grave peril facing the population of Gaza, which is jeopardizing the ability of humanitarian workers to help people with terrible injuries, acute hunger, and at severe risk of disease.
As the situation in Gaza remains dire, the international community is being called upon to take immediate and meaningful action to address the humanitarian crisis in the region.