Office of Her Majesty, Press Department
Monday, January 5, 2009
Queen Rania, UN
representatives call situation in Gaza “humanitarian crisis”; make plea for
ceasefire
WFP Director confirms food crisis in Gaza
(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman) Calling for an emergency press
conference, Monday, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah made an urgent plea on
behalf of all the civilians living in Gaza, especially the children, for a
“humanitarian ceasefire” and for the international community to do all they can
to help alleviate the suffering inflicted during this humanitarian crisis,
including “bringing in vital medical supplies, equipment and staff.”
“Over the past 41 years, the people of Gaza have been living under occupation.
Over the past 18 months, they have been living under siege. And for the past 10
days, the people of Gaza have been subject to a cruel and continuous military
attack,” she said.
Sending out an urgent message to world leaders, Her Majesty warned that “our
humanity is incomplete when children, irrespective of nationality, are victims
of military operations” as she called on all nations to “act to end the
fighting, and open all crossings, especially Karni, to permit the uninterrupted
passage of wheat, fuel, medicine, and other vital supplies.”
Queen Rania was accompanied by Sigrid Kaag, Regional Director of UNICEF; Filippo
Grandi Deputy Commissioner-General of UNRWA; Dr Guido Sabatinelli, Special
Representative of World Health Organization; and Jacques Higgins, Director of
World Food Program, who all referred to the situation in Gaza as a “humanitarian
crisis.”
Speaking on behalf of the United Nations, Grandi said that the crossings need to
be immediately and permanently opened, food and grain need to be made available
and international funding appeals must be supported. “All these things we talk
about are interconnected,” he said. “[The situation in Gaza] has been difficult
for the past 18 months, but it is nearly impossible today… and it is very
difficult to plan an operation in such an unpredictable manner.”
Without the ceasefire, though, he warned that it will be increasingly difficult
to make a difference there especially after the beginning of the ground offence.
Echoing the gravity of the situation in Gaza, Higgins stated that what is
happening is also a “food crisis” and that there is a lack of basic commodities.
“In November/ December we weren’t able to get in because of the crossings [being
closed] and now we’re seeing the very negative impact of that,” he said, “People
are hungry… and we have only been able to do partial distributions.”
Kaag pointed out that the violence is hurting women and children the most. “The
children form the majority of the population and are most in need of protection,
psychological assistance…and medical support,” she said.
Dr. Sabatinelli supported this statement noting that there is a very high level
of infant and maternal mortality in Gaza, and the highest rate of communicable
diseases, malnutrition and anemia in the region. One out of every three children
who go to UNRWA schools and half of all mothers going to deliver are anemic, he
said.
“The health staff cannot access their posts,” he said, “and patients cannot move
freely to reach the hospitals.”
Underscoring the humanitarian perspective, Grandi said “we are not involved in
the [political] discussion, but we continue to call for [a ceasefire].”
In her statement Her Majesty, who is a staunch advocate of protecting the rights
of children, set out to remind the international community of the devastating
toll. “The children of Gaza, the dead and the barely living, their mothers,
their fathers are not acceptable collateral damage; their lives do matter, their
loss does count. They are not divisible from our universal humanity – no child
is, no civilian is,” she said.