Ma'an - Commissioner General of UNRWA Karen AbuZayd expressed her "horror" at the extensive destruction in the Gaza Strip Saturday, and communicated her "deep sadness at the terrible loss in human life," in a press statement.
The UNRWA said in the statement that it "strongly urges the Israeli Government to heed calls for ceasing its bombardment on Gaza." And reminded Israel that it is a signatory of "international conventions that protect non-combatants in times of conflict," and added that "these conventions are worthless if they are not upheld."
The organization said it would "exert all efforts to respond as quickly as possible to relieve suffering and pain."
They said that Saturday's "killing and destruction...follows weeks of a tight blockade that prevented UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies from assisting the population and mitigating the difficult economic situation. The population is already paying the price of the prolonged blockade, 1.5 million people are unable to fulfill their basic needs, and they now face military escalation."
|