The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, will brief the Security Council in the meeting starting at 11:00 AM New York time while Secretary-General António Guterres is due to brief the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, which is convening elsewhere in the building.
‘Scar on our shared humanity’: Guterres
“The ongoing conflict and relentless bombardment by Israeli forces across Gaza have resulted in killings of civilians and destruction at a pace and scale unlike anything we have witnessed in recent years,” he added.“Withdrawing funds from UNRWA …would result in the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, with far-reaching humanitarian and human rights consequences in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and across the region,” warned the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), headed by relief chief Griffiths.Later in the day, we expect more details on the UN chief’s meeting Tuesday night with more than 30 donor countries to the UN’s relief agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, some of whom have suspended funding pending the investigation into alleged collusion by a dozen UNRWA workers in the 7 October terror attacks.10:04 AM“The death, destruction, displacement, hunger, loss, and grief in Gaza over the last 120 days are a scar on our shared humanity and conscience,” he said condemning the attacks by Hamas and other groups.The UN trade and development body, UNCTAD, is also due to publish its latest report into the devastating impact of war on the society and economy of Gaza since the fighting began. They’ll be outlining how reconstruction can begin when the fighting finally stops. That’s due to be released around 12:00 PM.Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless and “on the brink of famine”, they said, since Israeli bombardment and a ground invasion began after Palestinian militants massacred some 1,200 people in Israeli communities and took more than 250 others hostage on 7 October.The UN”s top humanitarian officials and chiefs of leading NGOs warned overnight of the “catastrophic consequences of defunding UNRWA in even the short-term.Secretary-General António Guterres is addressing the Committee, he started by underlining the importance of its mandate amidst the unresolved issue of Palestinian statelessness and the enormous violence and suffering, especially since the horrific 7 October terror attack.10:07 AM
Long road to reconstruction
The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, a body of the General Assembly is meeting for its 2024 session. The Committee unanimously elected Ambassador Cheikh Niang (Senegal) as the Chair. The Vice Chair and Rapporteurs will be elected at a later time.
