Six months on, the war in Gaza is a betrayal of humanity

Six months on, the war in Gaza is a betrayal of humanity

Statement by Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

(New York, 6 April 2024) We have arrived at a terrible milestone.

For the people of Gaza, the past six months of war have brought death, devastation and now the immediate prospect of a shameful man-made famine.

For the people affected by the lasting horror of the 7 October attacks, it has been six months of grief and torment.

Each day, this war claims more civilian victims. Every second that it continues sows the seeds of a future so deeply obscured by this relentless conflict.

As I and many others have said repeatedly, the end of this war is so long overdue.

Instead, we face the unconscionable prospect of further escalation in Gaza, where no one is safe and there is nowhere safe to go. An already fragile aid operation continues to be undermined by bombardments, insecurity and denials of access. 

Rarely has there been such global outrage at the toll of conflict, with seemingly so little done to end it and instead so much impunity.

On this day, my heart goes out to the families of those killed, injured or taken hostage, and to those who face the particular suffering of not knowing the plight of their loved ones.

It is not enough for six months of war to be a moment of remembrance and mourning – it must also spur a collective determination that there be a reckoning for this betrayal of humanity.

OCHA on the murder of World Central Kitchen staff

I am extremely saddened and appalled by the Israeli army’s multiple airstrikes last night that killed seven World Central Kitchen personnel in Deir al-Balah, Gaza. My condolences go out to the families, friends and colleagues of the World Central Kitchen personnel who were killed.

This is not an isolated incident. As of 20 March, at least 196 humanitarians had been killed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since October 2023. This is nearly three times the death toll recorded in any single conflict in a year.

Since October 2023, the oPt has become one of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places to work. There is no safe place left in Gaza.

All parties to the conflict, including the Government of Israel, must respect international humanitarian law, which prohibits the targeting of humanitarian personnel. The role of aid workers is to alleviate the suffering of people in crisis. Their safety, along with that of the civilians they serve, must be guaranteed.  

This attack comes at a time of severe hardship and suffering in Gaza. World Central Kitchen provides desperately needed food assistance in Gaza where recent analysis has shown a risk of famine is imminent for the 2.2 million people of Gaza.  The organization estimates it has provided more than 35 million hot meals since October 2023 and established more than sixty community kitchens.


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