New York, 11 November 2023 (TDI): The UN Security Council met on Friday to discuss the devastating situation in Gaza. The World Health Organization chief, Tedros, urged an immediate ceasefire amid the devastating conditions.
Tedros called for a Gaza ceasefire, emphasizing the urgent need for aid delivery. He warns that “nowhere and no one is safe” in Gaza. The UN health chief highlights the struggle of medical staff to cope with the growing needs of 2.3 million people without essential aid.
Marwan Jilani, Director General of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, urges the Council to end the violence, uphold international humanitarian law, and facilitate safe pathways for aid.
The Council observes a minute of silence at the meeting’s outset for those lost in the October 7 attacks in Israel and Palestinian civilians during the conflict.
“In Gaza, nowhere and no one is safe,” reiterated WHO Director-General Tedros as the meeting concluded. Addressing ambassadors, he urged them to imagine being trapped in such a dire situation.
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Emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access, Tedros also appealed to the Security Council to take action for the release of hostages.
Ambassador Zhang Jun of China, holding the Council presidency for November, expressed that the situation transcends a humanitarian crisis in his national capacity at the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
“In the face of all this, the world must speak out together,” he emphasized, declaring “Enough is enough.”
Zhang Jun urged the Council to take meaningful action to uphold justice and preserve peace, including facilitating a sustained truce, opening a corridor for aid delivery, and responding to the UN appeal for a medical evacuation mechanism.
Stating that a ceasefire is the sole hope for the survival of Gaza’s people, he called on influential parties to set aside differences and halt the violence, emphasizing the urgency of saving lives.
