Guterres justifies invoking Article 99 because "there are no longer conditions" for the delivery of aid in Gaza

MADRID, 8 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, defended this Friday before the Security Council that he has been forced to invoke article 99 of the UN Magna Carta and promote a ceasefire for Gaza in his personal capacity, in a extremely unusual measure, after verifying that United Nations agencies can no longer fulfill their humanitarian mandate in the enclave due to the enormous prevailing violence.

After recalling that the Security Council called in Resolution 2712 "to increase the provision of such supplies to meet the humanitarian needs of the civilian population, especially children", Guterres has "deeply regretted informing the Council that, under the current conditions on the terrain, the fulfillment of this mandate has become impossible.

In this sense, the Secretary General regretted that the only access point through Rafá, on the border with Egypt, "is not designed for the entry of hundreds of trucks and constitutes a major bottleneck." At best, "intense shelling and hostilities, Israeli restrictions on movement, fuel shortages and disrupted communications make it impossible for UN agencies and their partners to reach most people in need."

For all these reasons, "the conditions no longer exist for the effective delivery of humanitarian aid," said Guterres at the beginning of the Security Council deliberations session before the vote on Guterres' proposal, which could take place at the earliest. soon around 11:30 p.m. (Spanish peninsular time).

Thus, Guterres has argued that his request to the Security Council has taken place given that the situation is "on the verge of a breaking point." "There is a high risk of total collapse of the humanitarian support system in Gaza, which would result in a total breakdown of public order and increased pressure for mass displacement towards Egypt, with devastating consequences for the region," he concluded.

Guterres has argued that this collapse is "fundamentally related" to a "complete lack of security for UN humanitarian personnel in Gaza" with "the nature and intensity of (Israel's) military operations that are severely limiting access to help people who so desperately need it."

On this issue, the UN Secretary General understands that the "threat to the security of United Nations personnel in Gaza is unprecedented" after confirming that "more than 130 of my colleagues have already been killed, many of them with their families" in what is the "largest loss of life in the history of our organization.

"The people of Gaza are staring into the abyss," Guterres concluded, before calling on the international community to "do everything possible to put an end to this terrible experience." "The eyes of the world, and the eyes of History, are on us. It is time to act," he stressed.