According to the undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, all civilians have the right to basic necessities and protection.
Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stated on Thursday that the international community has not yet succeeded in carrying out its fundamental humanitarian obligations and safeguarding civilians in Gaza within the ongoing Israeli bombing onslaught.
He continued, saying that Gazans are not receiving nearly as much humanitarian aid as promised by national governments and other relief organisations.
Aid “is barely trickling in” and Israel’s “heavy bombardments” are “getting worse,” even in the supposedly protected areas of the enclave, according to a statement released by Griffiths on X (previously known as Twitter).
The official made reference to Israel’s apparent appeal for Gaza residents to relocate south of the area in light of ongoing airstrikes when he said, “The rules of war are clear: civilians must be protected and have the essentials to survive, wherever they are and whether they choose to move or stay.”
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Israel’s evacuation order has drawn criticism from Griffiths, the UN’s emergency relief coordinator, who said it “defies the rules of war and basic humanity.” On October 13, he declared that it was unsafe and outrageous to force “scared and traumatised civilians” out of their houses in the midst of heavy shelling “without even a pause in the fighting and without humanitarian support.”
Regarding Gaza, the UN representative reaffirmed on Thursday that “the world itself is failing to meet the bare entitlements of a part of humanity.”
His remarks coincided with the UN organisation having to reduce its humanitarian relief efforts in the Palestinian enclave because of a fuel shortage. Since Hamas’ attack on October 7, West Jerusalem has prohibited the importation of petroleum into Gaza, citing the possibility that the Palestinian terrorist group may utilise it for offensive military manoeuvres.
The BBC reports that although food, water, and medical supplies had managed to enter Gaza through Egypt, fuel was predicted to run out at some point on Tuesday.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) released a satellite image on Tuesday on X that they claim displays storage tanks in Gaza holding 500,000 litres of petroleum. The post said, “Ask Hamas if you can have some.”
