Griffiths says operation in Gaza made 'not sustainable' by genocide
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The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths warns of a complete collapse of humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip after Israeli strikes leave "no safe places" across the South.
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Martin Griffiths, United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, on December 6, 2022 at UN headquarters. (AP)
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths warned of the possible collapse of UN humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip after aid deliveries became "erratic" and "undependable" given that Israeli occupation attacks resulted in the elimination of any safe spaces in the southern Gaza Strip.
UN aid deliveries and operations, which are on the brink of collapse, have deteriorated to a "program of opportunism," said Griffiths, who lamented the extreme scarcity of supplies and the failure of the UN to deliver aid to large parts of Gaza.
"It's erratic, it’s undependable, and frankly, it’s not sustainable," Griffiths said speaking of UN operation in the Gaza Strip after "Israel" began heavily striking everything, including refugee housing locations.
The Israeli occupation's genocidal operation in the South "made no place safe for civilians in southern Gaza, which had been a cornerstone of the humanitarian plan to protect civilians and thus to provide aid to them."
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Southern Gaza was left "without places of safety," and as a result, the UN plan was "in tatters", Griffiths explained.
"We do not have a humanitarian operation in southern Gaza that can be called by that name anymore," the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs stressed.
The United Nations has said its humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip are on the brink of collapse, stating that aid deliveries had become “erratic” and “undependable.” The warning comes as Israeli forces step up strikes on southern Gaza, where thousands of civilians previously fled for safety.
WHO members urge "Israel" to protect humanitarian workers
On Friday, more than a dozen member states of the World Health Organization submitted a draft resolution, urging "Israel" to abide by its international 'legal obligations' to safeguard humanitarian workers in Gaza.
The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza has massacred 17,487 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the besieged Palestinian territory.
The proposal for the draft resolution was put forth by a coalition of countries, including Algeria, Bolivia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Palestinian representatives, holding WHO observer status, were among the signatories to the proposal, underscoring their involvement in the initiative.
The member states expressed their "grave concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east al-Quds, especially the military operations in the Gaza Strip".
They urged "Israel" to "respect and protect" medical and humanitarian workers engaged in carrying out medical duties, along with hospitals and other medical facilities.
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