The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humaniitarian Affairs John Holmes said Thursday that the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and especially in Gaza is becoming untenable. He added, in a news conference today, that the situation inside Gaza and the West Bank too is one of increasing difficulties. Holms said that trends are worrying and creating a situation that is extremely untenable. He described the situation is a serious humanitarian crisis. Holms, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, added that the situation is getting steadily worse.
He said the situation is creating facts on the ground are not helpful for the peace process.
Holms stressed that International Humanitarian Law is applicable to the oPt and needs to be fully respected that denying freedom of movement for emergency medical reasons would seem to be in breach of normal practice and normal requirements of International Humanitarian Law. He noted that the situation needs to be brought to the attention of the International Community even more than it has been already and not least in the context of the impending political negotiations.
Holmes in response to a question on if Israel goes ahead with its threat of more power cuts in Gaza, said that it will have an effect, a dramatic effect and will affect everything. "Collective punishment for the Gaza population is not the right or the most effective response to rocket launching from Gaza," he said. It is does not seem to be, he added, an appropriate response to those continuing rocket attacks to punish economically the population of Gaza. |