‘Every Day Counts,’ Senior Coordinator for Gaza Aid Tells Security Council, Urging Comprehensive Support with Commensurate Investment to Alleviate Suffering
The Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza urged the Security Council today to scale up assistance to meet the immense needs of the civilian population in Gaza, also warning that an Israeli military operation in Rafah would compound the existing humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip.
“Given the scale and scope of the destruction, and the extent of human suffering, every day counts,” stressed Sigrid Kaag. Assessing the implementation of resolution 2720 (2023) — which created her position in an effort to increase aid to Gaza — she said that the extent of destruction and devastation in the Strip calls for an ambitious and comprehensive plan of support with commensurate investment. Cautioning that effective humanitarian operations cannot be reduced to counting trucks, she emphasized: “This is a false metric for gauging whether humanitarian assistance is sufficient.”
While pointing out that the Israeli Government has taken steps to improve aid delivery, she stressed that further action is needed to ensure a sustained flow of humanitarian and commercial goods into Gaza. Outlining her discussions with regional stakeholders to accelerate and streamline the delivery of goods — and ensure their distribution within Gaza — she pointed to the launch of the Jordan land corridor; dialogue to optimize the efficiency of aid delivery through Egypt; work on the Cyprus maritime corridor; and the establishment of a database and notification system for all cargo destined for the Strip.
Also expressing concern over a potential Israeli military operation in Rafah, she underscored: “Such action would compound an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, with consequences for people already displaced and enduring severe hardships and suffering.” She added: “The UN’s ability to deliver will be constrained.”
In the discussion that followed, many Council members voiced alarm over looming famine in Gaza, as well as the compounding impact that an Israeli military operation in Rafah would have on those already suffering there. Many underlined the importance of a ceasefire to the delivery of much-needed humanitarian relief. Some Council members also called on Israel to do more to allow the passage of aid into and throughout the Strip.
Among them was the representative of the United States, who described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “beyond dire” and reported that his country has called on Israel to take specific, concrete and measurable steps to address the crisis, protect civilians and ensure the safety of aid workers. While acknowledging that Israel has taken some positive steps in this regard, he stressed: “But not nearly enough, and not quickly enough.” The United Kingdom’s delegate echoed that sentiment: “Israel must improve deconfliction and allow UN agencies and humanitarian actors unhindered and safe access into and throughout Gaza.”
The representative of the Republic of Korea, noting Israel’s recent announcement to open further access points into Gaza, called on that country to swiftly implement these commitments. Such measures will not only ease the suffering of Palestinians, but will also enhance Israel’s credibility in the eyes of the international community. “Actions speak much louder than words,” he asserted. Building on that, Guyana’s representative, while recognizing the importance of scaling up humanitarian support and increasing access across Gaza, observed that “this alone will not save lives”. There must be a permanent ceasefire for aid to be delivered effectively, she emphasized.
On that, the representative of the Russian Federation stressed that the Council has a logical algorithm for addressing conflict: first, a demand for a ceasefire; second, monitoring for compliance; then, in the case of violations, the question of enforcement arises. In Gaza, however, “this entire sequence of events has been turned upside down”, he said.
Agreeing on the necessity of an immediate and lasting ceasefire, Algeria’s representative pointed out that — in the absence of such a measure — humanitarian actors will deliver aid at risk to their lives. He further warned that a ground offensive into Rafah “will leave people with no choice but to flee to Egypt” and would represent “an irreversible breach of peace and security in the region and beyond”, expressing a concern shared by many others. “The pictures and news coming from Gaza will haunt us,” observed the representative of Slovenia.
For his part, Israel’s representative said that his country has taken many steps to improve the delivery of aid to Gaza. The flow of humanitarian goods into Gaza has meaningfully increased over recent weeks thanks to Israeli authorities’ ongoing efforts, he said, adding that the establishment of vital infrastructure is also under way. Regarding the 193 Israeli and other hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorist groups, however, he added: “We are here to remind all that these hostages have not been allowed any basic humanitarian assistance by their monstrous terrorist kidnappers.”
THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION
Briefing
SIGRID KAAG, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, said that a paradigm shift is needed to meet the immense needs of Gaza’s civilian population. This requires a scale-up in assistance and distribution; irreversible steps to enable safe, secure and unhindered delivery inside Gaza; and timely preparation for early recovery and reconstruction. Reporting that health infrastructure in Gaza has been decimated, she said that the few hospitals still standing struggle to operate due to severe shortages of supplies and frequent power outages. As summer draws near and temperatures rise, communicable diseases threaten to sweep through Gaza. Children, who suffer the worst and the most in every crisis, are deprived of nutrition, protection and education and their futures hang in the balance, she said, noting that the efficacy of humanitarian operations cannot be determined by counting trucks. “This is a false metric for gauging whether humanitarian assistance is sufficient,” she observed.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is pivotal in providing life-saving humanitarian aid and essential social services to Palestine refugees, she went on to say. “As such, UNRWA is irreplaceable and indispensable as a humanitarian lifeline and must be allowed to deliver on its mandate,” she stressed. She also reported that Israel has made several commitments to improve aid delivery, and that a number of steps have been taken to this end. These include an increase in the volume of aid cleared, inspected and crossed into Gaza; the temporary opening of the Erez Crossing and the Port of Ashdod for humanitarian goods, an increase in the number of trucks entering Gaza directly from Jordan, an expansion of the operating hours of the Kerem Shalom and Nitzana border crossings, the resumption of operations by some bakeries in north and central Gaza and the repair of the Nahal Oz waterline. However, further steps are needed to enable the sustained flow of humanitarian and commercial goods into Gaza in terms of volume, need and reach.
“Given the scale and scope of destruction, and the extent of human suffering, every day counts,” she underscored, outlining her discussions with regional stakeholders to ensure a consistent pipeline of goods and their distribution within Gaza. She pointed to the launch of the Jordan land corridor, resulting in an increase in volume and spotlighted the potential for further increases. Her team has also engaged in constructive dialogue to optimize the efficiency of aid delivery through Egypt, she reported. On the Cyprus maritime corridor, she said that — while it can never be a substitute for land deliveries — it can provide additional resources. Efforts to build a floating port and pier on the shores of Gaza are advancing, she added. She also said that a database and notification system will go online for all cargo destined for Gaza along supply routes, stating that its operationalization will allow for pipeline prioritization, predictability, visibility and tracking of these supplies.
The extent of the destruction and the devastating impact of this war on the entire population call for an ambitious and comprehensive plan of support with commensurate investment, she stressed. Echoing the Secretary-General, she noted the critical role to be played by the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. “The international community must work towards enabling its return, strengthen its governance capacity and prepare it to reassume its responsibilities in Gaza,” she said. Also expressing concern over a potential Israeli operation in Rafah, she underscored: “Such action would compound an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, with consequences for people already displaced and enduring severe hardships and suffering. The UN’s ability to deliver will be constrained.”
Statements
The representative of the United Kingdom, while welcoming Israel’s commitment to increase aid flows into Gaza, stressed that “much more needs to be done”. Further, the Senior Coordinator’s mandate to establish a mechanism to track, verify and coordinate aid is crucial, she said, adding that her Government will provide over $3.5 million in additional funding for equipment to support the efforts of the UN and aid agencies to get more aid into Gaza. It is also vital that this aid is distributed quickly and effectively — to this end, Israel must improve deconfliction and allow UN agencies and humanitarian actors unhindered and safe access into and throughout Gaza. Recognizing that UNRWA is critical to aid delivery in Gaza, she commended the independent review of the Agency’s neutrality and noted that London will determine its future funding following careful consideration of the final report and the Agency’s response.
The representative of Mozambique said that the Israel Defense Forces continue military operations that cause more civilian casualties, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Recalling that the Council — despite the challenges in achieving consensus — successfully adopted resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720 (2023), he stated that both were clear in their appeals: calls for an immediate and urgent humanitarian ceasefire, a cessation of hostilities, and ultimately, a ceasefire. Reiterating an appeal to Council members with influence to cooperate with the Senior Coordinator to fulfil her mandate, he underscored: “The human toll of this conflict is staggering, with innocent lives caught in the crossfire. The call for a ceasefire remains, therefore, urgent and crucial.”
The representative of the United States said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “beyond dire” and that his country has called on Israel to take a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address this crisis, protect civilians and ensure the safety of aid workers. While acknowledging that Israel has taken some positive steps, he stressed: “But not nearly enough and not quickly enough.” The United States’ position is clear: Israel must take immediate action to open additional land crossings into Northern Gaza. “As Gaza faces imminent famine, lives hang in the balance and every day matters,” he said, adding that the United States and its partners are working to establish a maritime corridor to Gaza and calling on Israel to open Ashdod to humanitarian shipments. “This is critical, and it needs to happen right away,” he underscored, also urging accountability for the killing of humanitarian personnel, including the attack on World Central Kitchen staff earlier in April.
The representative of Algeria, underscoring the need to establish a UN mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief into Gaza, said that every Member State with influence should help the Senior Coordinator implement her mandate. However, successful humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza depends on an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Otherwise, humanitarian actors will deliver aid at risk to their lives, he said, condemning the assassination of humanitarian workers from the World Central Kitchen. Highlighting UNRWA’s irreplaceable role in Gaza, he stressed that the Agency must be able to operate freely and safely. He further warned that a ground offensive into Rafah “will leave people with no choice but to flee to Egypt” and would represent “an irreversible breach of peace and security in the region and beyond”.
The representative of Ecuador noted that more than four months have passed since the adoption of resolution 2720 (2023), observing: “Regrettably, many of its provisions are far from being fulfilled, and the valuable progress achieved is insufficient given the magnitude of the task.” The civilian population in Gaza must have access to the aid it needs at scale. Quito welcomes efforts to “diversify” aid routes and supply lines by land, air and sea and encourages the pursuit of these efforts despite operational difficulties, he said, expressing hope that the mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief to Gaza will be fully operational as soon as possible.
The representative of Guyana said that the death toll in Gaza “should shock our collective conscience and compel us to bring this war to an immediate and just end after more than 200 days of unimaginable horror”. The lack of sufficient land crossings remains a major hindrance to humanitarian efforts in Gaza that is compounded by excessive inspection processes, she observed, emphasizing that Israel is obliged to enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale. However, while scaling up humanitarian support and increasing access across Gaza is crucial, “this alone will not save lives”, she stressed, adding that there must be a permanent ceasefire for aid to be delivered effectively. Additionally, Palestinians must not be expected to subsist on humanitarian aid for any lengthy period, as conditions must be created for them to build their livelihoods.
The representative of the Russian Federation recalled that his delegation abstained during the vote on resolution 2720 (2023). That resolution did not directly demand a ceasefire — a key precondition for the safe, unfettered delivery of aid to those in need. Instead, it set forth information about the creation of conditions for the cessation of violence in Gaza. Moscow warned that these ambiguous words would be interpreted by Israel as a green light. “That’s exactly what happened,” he said, noting that Israel’s military operations have continued “with comprehensive support from the United States”. He stressed that the Council has a logical algorithm for its actions in conflicts — first, a demand for a ceasefire; second, monitoring for compliance; then, in case of violations, the question of enforcement arises. In Gaza, however, “this entire sequence of events has been turned upside down”, he said, adding that “humanitarian aid workers have, in essence, been asked to sacrifice their lives by doing the jobs of peacekeepers”.
The representative of China said that, in the past 200 days, Gaza has seen the spread of famine, the collapse of the health-care system, the loss of innocent lives and the desperate struggle of millions of people on the brink of death. Voicing concern over the continued worsening of this humanitarian disaster, he observed that aid delivery continues to encounter various man-made obstacles. To ensure the rapid and safe delivery of relief to Gaza — and its safe and orderly distribution — the mechanism established by the Senior Coordinator will be crucial. He also highlighted UNRWA’s indispensable role in guaranteeing aid delivery, stressing that “hunger cannot be weaponized, and relief cannot be politicized”. Pointing to the independent review panel that reaffirmed UNRWA’s neutrality, he urged all countries to resume funding the Agency.
The representative of Sierra Leone underlined the Senior Coordinator’s vital role in facilitating and expediting humanitarian aid to Gaza. Calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Strip to enable full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all civilians, he said that the absence of such measures will only stifle progress. In that vein, he called on the Senior Coordinator to liaise with UNRWA to ensure that Palestinians enjoy full access to humanitarian aid. He also reiterated a call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas, and in the interim, demanded that access be granted to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other humanitarian workers to visit and support the victims.
The representative of the Republic of Korea, noting Israel’s recent announcement to open further access points into Gaza, called on that country to swiftly implement these commitments. Such measures will not only ease the suffering of Palestinians, but will also enhance Israel’s credibility in the eyes of the international community. “Actions speak much louder than words,” he asserted, expressing hope that all possible land crossings, including those at Erez and Karni, can soon be opened. Further, an immediate ceasefire is essential to end humanitarian suffering in Gaza, and simultaneously, lessen regional tensions. Adding that another major military operation — including a looming ground offensive in Rafah — must not be realized, he emphasized that, given Gaza’s immense needs, the Senior Coordinator’s mandate on reconstruction should begin based on a ceasefire.
The representative of Slovenia, recalling that resolution 2720 (2023) demanded that parties to the conflict enable the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale in Gaza, said: “People are dying in Gaza due to malnutrition and dehydration. This is not assistance at scale. People are dying in Gaza, collecting assistance. This is not safe. People are dying in Gaza as basic humanitarian and medical items are denied due to dual use. This is not unhindered.” Expressing concern over the prospect of famine in Gaza and the threat of a full-scale operation in Rafah, he called for the removal of all barriers to the delivery of aid. He also called on Israel not to carry out the Rafah operation, to fully implement the announced opening of the Erez Crossing and use of the Port of Ashdod and to fully respect international law. “The pictures and news coming from Gaza will haunt us,” he said.
The representative of Switzerland urged the parties to fully implement the binding resolutions the Council has adopted since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks. The same applies to the International Court of Justice’s order that Israel must immediately take all necessary measures to ensure the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian aid to people in Gaza. Further, a large-scale military offensive in Rafah is unacceptable, as it would further hurt a civilian population already impacted by displacement, hostilities, epidemics and famine. The use of starvation as a method of warfare is strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime, she stated, urging the immediate implementation of relevant Council resolutions, a ceasefire, the safe, swift and unimpeded delivery of aid to Gaza and the release of hostages.
The representative of Japan welcomed the Senior Coordinator’s tireless efforts to streamline and expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as her proposal for a UN mechanism to this end. Tokyo supports the role of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in that regard. Israel should reopen land crossings, he urged, underscoring that “land routes and more entry points into Gaza are vital, with no viable alternative”. He also stated that UNRWA plays a central role in Gaza’s desperately needed humanitarian operations. Welcoming the final report and recommendations of the independent review of UNRWA, he noted that Japan had resumed its funding to the Agency since 2 April and has already disbursed $35 million. In addition, its in-kind contributions to UNRWA will resume in early May.
The representative of France said that Palestinians in Gaza are not just exposed to the risk of famine; rather, “famine is upon them”. In that context, the effectiveness of humanitarian aid is a major concern. “It’s not a question of counting the number of trucks”, but a matter of ensuring that these trucks are loaded with the necessary cargo, he said. Hampering the provision of such relief could constitute a crime under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. “We are not dealing with a natural catastrophe,” he stressed, urging an end to the fighting and opposing a ground offensive in Rafah, which would lead to humanitarian catastrophe. The draft resolution that his delegation has submitted addresses all aspects of the crisis, he added, calling on Council members to support it.
The representative of Malta, Council President for April, spoke in his national capacity to demand the immediate implementation of relevant Council resolutions calling for ceasefire, hostage release and facilitation of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza. Noting the unjustified blockade of aid, he said that famine has grasped the north of the Strip while the rest of Gaza’s population is now the most food insecure in the world. Moreover, reports continue to emerge of the use of deadly experimental artificial-intelligence targeting systems to devastating effect in Gaza. Highlighting UNRWA’s irreplaceable role, he underscored the need to avoid politicizing the work of humanitarian actors and undermining the UN’s legitimacy in Gaza. Condemning the staggering number of humanitarian and UN staff killed by Israel during this conflict to date, he called for thorough and transparent investigations. He also urged an independent investigation into the recent reports of mass graves at the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis and the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
The representative of Israel detailed several steps his country has taken to improve the delivery of aid to Gaza, which have dramatically increased the volume of aid over the last several months. In recent weeks, Israeli authorities have inspected and granted access to between 300 to 400 trucks carrying aid and essentials. Since 7 October 2023, over 25,000 trucks carrying almost 500,000 tons of aid have been given access to the Gaza Strip, and the flow has meaningfully increased over recent weeks thanks to Israeli authorities’ ongoing efforts. The establishment of vital infrastructure is also under way, he said, noting that 25 bakeries are currently operational in Gaza, providing over 3 million units of bread, rolls and pizza daily.
“These steps — and others — were all made possible through the commitment of the Israeli authorities to the humanitarian efforts, as well as our coordination and joint work with different partners in the region and beyond,” he stated. Noting recent bottlenecks on the Gaza side of the crossing, he said that the United Nations must find solutions to this logistical gap and extend its hours of operation. Regarding the 193 Israeli and other hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorist groups, he called on the Council to step up its own efforts and demand that this horror finally ends. “We are here to remind all that these hostages have not been allowed any basic humanitarian assistance by their monstrous terrorist kidnappers,” he said.
Ms. KAAG, taking the floor a second time, said that the mechanism will be able to service additional delivery routes into Gaza while maximizing the efficiency of existing ones. Resolution 2720 (2023) requires that mechanism to be humanitarian in nature — it is, however, logical that it could be used for commercial goods in the future, especially in the context of early recovery and reconstruction. Such goods are needed in Gaza, she stressed, noting that both informal and formal economies must be rebooted and combined with cash assistance — this is critical to restoring “elements of human dignity in Gaza”.