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NEW YORK/WAM
United Nations officials on Wednesday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages, and a massive scale-up of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The appeals were made by Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations at the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), during a Security Council session chaired by Slovenia on the situation in Gaza.
The urgent meeting was requested – separately – by both Algeria and Israel to discuss developments in Gaza and the West Bank.
DiCarlo welcomed the continued efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to reach a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages.
She noted that recent meetings in Doha and Cairo attempted to bridge gaps, but major differences persist. “More must be done to reach a deal without further delay. The United Nations remains committed to supporting all efforts to this end.”
Wosornu, in turn, condemned the suffering and destruction faced by Gaza’s residents, emphasising that the aim of international humanitarian law is to mitigate the consequences of war by setting minimum standards of conduct, primarily to protect and meet the basic needs of civilians.
She underscored that compliance with international humanitarian law “is not optional,” stressing the urgency of a ceasefire, the release of hostages, civilian protection, and addressing basic needs in accordance with Security Council resolutions.
Wosornu expressed regret over the ongoing violence and urged the Security Council “to turn its promises into reality and end the suffering.”
Both UN officials welcomed the local humanitarian pauses, which enabled the launch of the emergency polio vaccination campaign.
The UN World Health Organisation said 187,000 children in Gaza have been vaccinated for polio, with an eventual goal of 640,000. WHO and its partners launched the campaign this week after Gaza recently reported its first polio case in 25 years.