Addis Ababa: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stern warning about the increasing use of hunger as a weapon in conflict zones, highlighting the growing crisis in regions such as Gaza and Sudan. In a video message to the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake in Addis Ababa, Guterres stated, "Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war."
According to EMM, the situation in Gaza is particularly dire, with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reporting the deaths of more children due to hunger. The agency expressed hope that it would soon receive permission to deliver thousands of trucks filled with essential supplies, which have been blocked for months by Israel. This follows Israel's announcement of a daily humanitarian pause in areas where its military is not active, aimed at addressing the rising child malnutrition since the blockade began on March 2.
The humanitarian pause is limited to specific regions in Gaza, including Al-Mawasi, Deir Al-Balah, and Gaza City. On Sunday, a convoy of over 100 trucks managed to enter the Strip through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, providing much-needed aid.
While this development is welcomed, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has emphasized the immense needs still present in Gaza. Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Chief and head of OCHA, described the situation as dire, with one in three people going days without food. "People are being shot just trying to get food to feed their families. Children are wasting away," Fletcher noted.
Fletcher acknowledged recent progress in aid delivery but stressed the urgency for more substantial and sustained efforts to prevent famine and a health crisis. In addition to Israel's temporary aid boost, customs restrictions on essential supplies from Egypt have reportedly been lifted, allowing for more secure routes for UN humanitarian convoys.
In New York, an initiative by France and Saudi Arabia aims to revive the two-State solution discussions between Israel and Palestine. The conference, starting on Monday, coincides with France's announcement that it will formally recognize Palestine in September, marking a significant diplomatic move as the first G7 nation to do so. This initiative is rooted in the 1947 UN General Assembly resolution that proposed partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, leading to the establishment of Israel in 1948.