UN Security Council: Bendjama regrets the “dire” consequences resulting from preventing humanitarian aid from reaching the children of Gaza.

New York (United Nations) – Algeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amar Bendjama, expressed his regret at the “severe” consequences resulting from preventing humanitarian aid from reaching the children of Gaza, and attributed this situation to the occupying force in Palestine.

Yesterday, Wednesday, in an intervention he delivered during a meeting of the UN Security Council on the topic of “Confronting the Consequences of Preventing Humanitarian Aid from Access to Children in Times of Armed Conflicts,” Mr. Bendjama said, “We are currently facing a terrifying reality, as preventing the access of humanitarian aid puts children in the reach of children.” The conflict, and the tragic humanitarian situation in Gaza is a stark example of that.”

The Algerian diplomat added, “The occupation force in Palestine has been deliberately preventing, for months, the arrival of humanitarian aid, causing terrible humanitarian consequences, including, in particular, the death of children from malnutrition, dehydration, and lack of treatment.”

He also pointed out that “those who survive will suffer from the effects for life, and will not be able to grow and develop as if they were in a normal situation. Their dreams will have been shattered.”

In this regard, Mr. Bendjama mentioned that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had confirmed in February 2024 that children in the Gaza Strip were dying at a tragic rate, with thousands of them killed and thousands more injured.

He continued, saying, “Estimations indicate that about 1.7 million people have been displaced within the country, and half of them are children, in addition to more than 17,000 children wounded and without a living family. More than 600,000 children were also counted in Rafah under siege.” They have no place to turn,” adding that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) had indicated that the number of children killed in Gaza in recent months was greater than the number of children killed during four years of conflicts in the world.

The diplomat continued, “As we meet now, children continue to face difficulties in obtaining humanitarian assistance, which are sometimes severe.”

Accordingly, Mr. Benjameh explains, “responsibility for the fate of children affected by war lies with this Council, especially through its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, along with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in charge of Children and Armed Conflict and the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism.”

He also particularly stressed “other necessary work that must be undertaken in order to reach an international response to humanitarian crises.”

In this regard, Mr. Bendjama called for “strengthening follow-up mechanisms, in particular by improving data collection and advocacy for the safe and unhindered crossing of humanitarian workers and supplies, without preconditions.”

On the other hand, Mr. Bendjama called for the inclusion of “refusal of humanitarian assistance” on the agenda of the Security Council among the violations that require the inclusion of parties in the annex to the annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, and which are linked to serious violations to which children are exposed in situations of armed conflict.

He continued, “Children are disproportionately affected by armed conflicts, especially by the six serious violations condemned by the Security Council. Children should not fall victim to conflicts.”

The diplomat stressed that he hopes that “this meeting will be an incentive for action,” adding, “Let us hold the perpetrators of these acts accountable and give priority to the arrival of humanitarian aid to ensure that the needs of children in armed conflicts are met.”

Mr. Bendjama concluded by saying, “Together we can build a world in which children are no longer victims of war, but rather become a ray of hope for a peaceful future.”

APS