Starvation is “knocking on every door” in Gaza, according to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who called the situation a “horror show.”
“Around the world, we see an utter disregard for, if not (an) outright violation of, international law,” he told the United Nations Security Council yesterday.
“We need look no further than the horror show in Gaza. In the level of death and destruction without parallel in recent times. Malnourishment is soaring. Starvation is knocking on every door. Now we are seeing the last gasp of a humanitarian system built on humanitarian principles,” he said.
The UN’s humanitarian system is being “denied the conditions to function” in Gaza, including the space to deliver aid and the safety to help people in need, Guterres said.
The Israeli military’s new operation in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza has meant that “devastation is being layered upon devastation.”
Guterres also said that he is “appalled” by the striking of UN premises inside Gaza, including the facilities of the United Nations Office for Project Services and warehouses and residences belonging to the World Health Organization.
“These premises are inviolable and must be protected under international humanitarian law without exception,” he said.
