UN General Assembly President urges immediate action to end catastrophic situation in Gaza
New York (Quds News Network) – In an address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), President Dennis Francis has urgently called upon the international community to take immediate action to address the dire situation in Gaza resulting from the ongoing Israeli genocide.
Describing the ongoing crisis as “catastrophic, unconscionable, and shameful,” President Francis expressed shock and horror at the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people by Israeli occupation forces during the disbursement of aid supplies west of Gaza City last week.
The UNGA meeting, held yesterday, focused on the recent US veto of the Security Council draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in war-torn Gaza. The region is grappling with a grim and forewarned landscape of famine, resulting in the tragic deaths of babies and children due to starvation in recent days.
President Francis highlighted the escalating death toll and the alarming statistic that 85 percent of Gaza’s population, totaling 1.9 million people, are internally displaced. He expressed extreme concern about pending Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, home to nearly 1.5 million people, urgently calling for maximum restraint to save innocent civilian lives.
Israeli restrictions on humanitarian access have significantly reduced the flow of lifesaving aid, with a 50 percent reduction in the number of trucks entering Gaza daily from January to February, according to UNRWA reports.
The UN General Assembly President emphasized the urgent need to rapidly and substantially increase the scale of humanitarian operations and ensure unrestricted access to all civilians in need.
He stressed that an immediate humanitarian ceasefire must be implemented, with all parties complying with their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, especially concerning the protection of civilians and civilian facilities.
President Dennis Francis demanded full and unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance for those in need, emphasizing the critical importance of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza without delay.
