UN official: What I saw in Gaza was different from what I saw in other conflict areas

The Undersecretary of the Secretary -General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, told “Al -Arabi Al -Jadeed” that what he saw in Gaza was different from what he saw in any other conflict zone. He stressed that despite the preparation of himself morally and psychologically to visit before heading to Gaza last January, he was shocked by the horror of what he saw, including fat dogs that eat the bodies of the Palestinians that were between the debris. The state officials came in response to a number of questions during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

He added: “I saw the destruction of miles and miles and the shock was greater than I expected. The destruction in the north of Gaza is broader than in the south.” He talked about the Gazans, including those working in the United Nations, destroying their homes and how many of them were unable to identify their bots because they are ruins and debris and cannot be differentiated.

The UN official stopped at the deep psychological trauma under which the Gazans lived and the suffering that is difficult to describe, then pointed to the flow of humanitarian aid after reaching the ceasefire. “Its flow has caused a big difference and it is clear that this has stopped in the past two weeks,” he said. He touched on the plan of US President Donald Trump on Gaza, and said that all the invaders who spoke with them insisted that they were planning to stay and do not want to leave the country. He expressed his concern about the situation in the West Bank, and pointed out that the facts on the ground are changing very quickly. He described what is happening as tragedy at the human level. He emphasized the need to put an end to the impunity and hold the perpetrators of attacks on civilians and relief workers around the world.

On the other hand, the UN official stressed the need to allow the arrival of humanitarian aid in Sudan and their continued provision despite the difficult security conditions in many areas, including Darfur, specifically Zamzam camp. He called for ending the conflict and silencing weapons. With regard to Syria, it touched on the need to remove munitions and weapons waste, stressing that the needs in Syria are still enormous, including the basic needs. He drew attention to the fact that the delivery of humanitarian aid to the various regions in Syria is now easier compared to the period of Assad’s rule.

The UN official stopped at the financial situation faced by the United Nations and its humanitarian organizations, pointing out that the work of humanitarian organizations faces many difficulties and challenges for many reasons, including a severe reduction in the volume of financing for humanitarian aid from donor countries, including the United States. He said that many “will die because this aid is depleted and we have to choose between those who help and this is sad.” He pointed out that there are more than three hundred million people around the world currently needing humanitarian aid. He talked about a major challenge facing the United Nations and humanitarian organizations around the world. He stressed the need for the United Nations humanitarian agencies to reorganize their ranks to meet the challenges. He said that the United Nations needs forty -seven billion dollars to fill the needs and financing humanitarian aid for this year around the world.