United Nations/Prensa Latina
The United Nations (UN) announced this Wednesday the suspension of its night operations for at least the next 48 hours in the besieged Gaza after warning of serious security problems.
The spokesman for the Secretary General (António Guterres), Stéphane Dujarric, assured the press that the current circumstances impact staff on the ground and the civilian population as workers try to help.
The spokesperson confirmed that the decision was made following the murder of seven staff members of the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) by an Israeli attack last Monday.
“People are dying and it is essential that we continue to deliver aid (…) We need personnel and supplies to be able to move freely and safely through the Gaza Strip,” Dujarric claimed during a briefing.
The mission of World Central Kitchen had been agreed upon with the Israeli authorities in advance and its car was well marked, according to reports released by the entity itself and the World Health Organization.
The team was moving through a non-conflict area in two armored vehicles with the WCK logo and another unarmored car, said a statement released on Tuesday on the NGO’s official website.
Despite coordinating movements with the Israel Defense Forces, the convoy was hit as it left the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where they had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza via the sea route.
“This is not just an attack on WCK, it is an attack on humanitarian organizations that appear in the most dire situations where food is used as a weapon of war. This is inexcusable,” said Erin Gore, its executive director.
For their part, the Israeli authorities recognized their responsibility although they assured that it was a “consequence” of the conflict.
After the first reports, images of the non-governmental organization’s vehicles were released that showed large holes in the roofs.
The association led by Spanish chef José Andrés also announced a pause in its humanitarian work in Gaza before making a final decision. The UN Secretary General described the event as “an inevitable result of the way the war is being carried out.”
“It demonstrates once again the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and the expansion of aid to Gaza, as demanded by the Security Council in its resolution last week,” Guterres said yesterday.
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