United Nations (TDI): In a powerful address to the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s envoy urged the world to act urgently to halt the worsening crisis in Gaza, warning that silence in the face of such suffering will not be forgotten by history.
“History will judge us,” said Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad. “Let it judge us for standing with humanity and international law, not for remaining passive in the face of this catastrophe.”
Speaking during a Council debate on the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, the ambassador described the situation as one of near-total collapse. “This is a man-made tragedy, where life is being stripped away not just by bombs, but by the systematic destruction of conditions necessary for survival.”
He cited staggering figures: over 58,000 dead, most of them women and children; more than 138,000 injured; and entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
Read More: Pakistan Calls Gaza Crisis ‘Collapse of Humanity’
“The world cannot afford to turn away as Gaza is starved and shattered,” he said. “Behind every number is a name, a dream, a story cut short. This is not just another statistic.”
Ambassador Ahmad called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, removal of the blockade, full humanitarian access, particularly through UN agencies like UNRWA, and the release of all hostages and Palestinian detainees. He also demanded the rejection of all illegal policies of the occupying power, including forced displacements.
Most crucially, he emphasized the root cause of the conflict: the long-standing occupation and denial of Palestinian rights. “A just peace requires a sovereign Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital.”
Read More: Pakistan Urges Action After Gaza Ceasefire Resolution Blocked at UNSC
He welcomed the upcoming high-level conference co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, expressing hope for meaningful outcomes.
Earlier in the session, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher told the Council, “We have run out of words.” He said civilians now risk being shot simply for seeking food, and field hospitals are overwhelmed by the dead and dying.
He revealed that child malnutrition is at its worst level yet, with over 5,800 children diagnosed as acutely malnourished last month. Many were killed while waiting in line for food aid.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
