United Nations humanitarian agencies in the occupied Palestinian territory have called
for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza, which is seriously hampering their
ability to deliver aid.
“The upsurge of violence, which has taken the lives of innocent civilians, is
also putting our workers on the ground at serious risk,” the agencies said in a
statement over the weekend, voicing extreme alarm at the deteriorating security
situation but stressing their determination to soldier on with their mission.
“It is becoming extremely difficult for us to fulfill our humanitarian mandates
to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. The implications of this
for a population already facing extreme hardship are grave. We remain determined
to continue with our humanitarian work.
“We call for an immediate end to the violence, respect by all parties for the
human rights of the population in Gaza and we condemn in the strongest possible
terms the killing of women, children and other unarmed civilians. We appeal to
the parties to refrain from any action which endangers civilian life and which
prevents us from fulfilling our humanitarian responsibilities,” they added.
At least 31 people have been killed and more than 250 others have been wounded after violent clashes have sparked in Gaza last Thursday between supporters of Hamas and Fatah. The Thursday violence is a part of frequent factional infighting over the past several months since a Hamas-led government has come to power in last January’s elections.
