August 29, 2024
Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you, OCHA Assistant Secretary-General Msuya and WHO Deputy Director General Ryan, for your briefings.
Polio is a scourge of a disease – one that had nearly been eradicated through the dedicated efforts of agencies like the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other global health partners.
The return of confirmed polio cases in Gaza is a clear and present threat to the health of the most vulnerable Palestinian civilians, including children, who have suffered terribly since this conflict began over ten months ago.
There is no doubt as to the threat that polio represents to the region, and the importance of establishing the conditions needed to urgently implement a vaccination campaign throughout Gaza.
For that reason, the United States is grateful to the UN for its leadership, and urges all parties to support a safe and successful campaign. We continue to support coordination between the humanitarian community and Israeli authorities to facilitate swift implementation of a vaccination campaign in Gaza. Secretary Blinken raised this during his recent visit to Israel.
It is vital that this campaign be implemented without delay.
It is especially important for Israel to facilitate access for agencies carrying out the vaccination campaign and for it to ensure periods of calm and refrain from military operations during vaccination campaign periods. We urge Israel to avoid further evacuation orders during this period.
The bottom line is that humanitarians on the ground, including UN agencies and other NGOs, must be provided the space and security conditions to distribute vaccines and inoculate the at-risk population and to do so safely. Children’s lives depend on their success. The need is urgent.
Colleagues, the polio campaign is yet another example of humanitarians working under extraordinarily difficult circumstances to help the people of Gaza. We are grateful for their sacrifices and tireless work. And we will continue to insist on the need for their protection in Gaza, and around the world.
Even as we press all parties to facilitate life-saving work, we must not ignore how Hamas’ actions continue to put civilians, including humanitarian personnel and their families at risk.
Separately, we are alarmed by yesterday’s reports that the IDF fired repeatedly on a WFP vehicle.
Israel has said it is investigating this most recent incident, which their initial review has said was a result of a communication error between IDF units. We have urged them to immediately rectify the issues within their system that allowed this to happen.
Yet the simple fact is, almost eleven months into this conflict, incidents such as yesterday’s remain all too common. We are also concerned by another incident in which the IDF fired toward a UNICEF vehicle. These security incidents make the work of these organizations significantly harder. These incidents should not happen.
Israel must not only take ownership for its mistakes, but also take concrete actions to ensure the IDF does not fire on UN personnel again.
Further, all attacks and threatening rhetoric against the UN and humanitarian NGOs need to stop. The rhetoric has placed – and continues to place – humanitarian actors under increased risk both in Gaza and globally.
Colleagues, today’s briefings underscore the vital importance of finalizing a ceasefire with the release of hostages, as this Council called for in Resolution 2735. The United States, in partnership with Qatar and Egypt, continues to engage the parties on a final deal, which would bring the hostages home, and bring much-needed relief to the people of Gaza.
A ceasefire hostage release agreement would also aid efforts to alleviate the public health crisis in Gaza, which extends beyond polio to outbreaks of cholera and suspected Hepatitis A, all of which are avoidable.
The international community must also do its part. We reiterate our call on all Member States to contribute funds to support the live-saving work of humanitarian organizations in Gaza.
The level of human suffering in Gaza is immense, and Palestinian civilians, many of whom have been displaced multiple times, continue to bear the worst of catastrophic humanitarian conditions.
But again, the best course to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians and of Israelis awaiting the safe return of their family members, is to finalize and implement a ceasefire. The time is now.
Thank you, Mr. President.