Iran Laments UNSC’s Inaction on Gaza Humanitarian Crisis

It is incumbent on the Security Council to live up to its inherent responsibilities as a fundamental step to end the humanitarian crisis in Palestine and stop the atrocity crimes being committed by the Israeli regime in Gaza, Zahra Ershadi said on Friday.

The ambassador and deputy permanent representative of Iran to the UN made the comments at a UN General Assembly meeting on “strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance”.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the importance of humanitarian assistance activities, including the United Nations humanitarian response system, by upholding its purely humanitarian nature,” she said.

“We strongly believe those who serve as the main contributors in protracted wars and occupations by their involvement or through the provision of sophisticated weapons should shoulder more of the burden in financing UN humanitarian responses. This also includes those that have historical responsibility in greenhouse gas emissions that lead to rapid climate change and exacerbate disasters,” the Iranian envoy added.

“We also strongly condemn situations wherein the humanitarian needs of populations in dire deprivation are taken hostage as a political means or military tool, including by imposing blockages to starve civilians to death. Furthermore, the United Nations must assure that all humanitarian aid should be distributed among all populations in need indiscriminately and without any interference by donors,” Ershadi stated.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers unilateral coercive measures as one of the main obstacles that hinder international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance, while also serving as one of the main sources of creating humanitarian crises around the world. While our region is prone to a variety of disasters, including earthquakes, droughts, dust and sandstorms, as well as floods that stretch our resources to the absolute brink, the Islamic Republic of Iran has tremendously suffered from the additional weight that unlawful and illegal unilateral sanctions bear,” she noted.

“The international community continues to face one of the exceptional challenges and largest tests in its history of humanitarian emergencies as it strives to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the envoy said.

“The Gaza Strip is under the worst besiege since 2007 and the humanitarian situation is getting worse daily while the death toll is rising due to the daily atrocity crimes committed by the Israeli regime against the innocent Palestinian people. Hospitals, mosques, churches, schools and other purely civilian infrastructures have not been immune, with many hundreds of people being brutally slaughtered inside these places. 70% of victims are children and women. Many people have been displaced. More than 80 journalists have been killed. Almost 131 UNRWA staff are no longer among us. UNRWA premises are under deliberate attacks and people who have sought refuge inside these premises are bombarded. Unhindered access is still the main challenge to providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians,” she added.

“What is very sad, disappointing, and unacceptable is the inaction by the international community, including the UN and, especially, the Security Council, in facing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The humanitarian pauses are not the solution for the deteriorating situation in Gaza. In such a dire situation, sympathy is no longer enough,” Ershadi noted.

“Unfortunately, rather than denouncing the brutalism of the Israeli regime in Gaza, those Countries, which are staunch proponents of humanitarian intervention in other countries, while having a horrific record of military interventions in countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya, among others, instead embolden the regime by expressing their support for it in both words and in supplying sophisticated weapons,” she deplored.

“We strongly believe that addressing the root causes of humanitarian crises and emergencies, as well as greater investment in prevention, are the only sustainable solutions for this global phenomenon. In the Middle East, which attracts a significant amount of humanitarian assistance due to the conflicts emanating from military interventions and protracted occupations, especially in Palestine, the root causes of humanitarian crises must be addressed urgently. In this regard, it is incumbent on the Security Council to live up to its inherent responsibilities as a fundamental step to end the humanitarian crisis in our region especially in ending the atrocity crimes being committed by the Israeli regime in Gaza,” she underlined.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its consistent call for the immediate halt of aggression against Gaza, the cease of all military supports to the aggressor and occupying regime and the implementation of a sustainable and durable cessation of hostilities. All perpetrators of crimes against Palestinians, including those who aid and abet the Israeli regime to commit atrocity crimes in Palestine, especially in Gaza, must be held accountable,” she concluded.