NEW YORK: The United Nations announced the appointment of Muhannad Hadi, a Jordanian national, as the Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator for the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO).
Hadi will take over from Jamie McGoldrick, who had been temporarily carrying the position since December, following the departure of Lynn Hastings, whose visa renewal was denied by Israeli authorities.
While the reasons for McGoldrick’s departure are currently unclear, during his tenure, he rejected Israeli claims regarding the number of trucks entering Gaza, highlighting discrepancies in the figures.
The Israeli military reported a significant influx of trucks carrying essential aid into Gaza, while humanitarian agencies faced challenges in delivering supplies due to bureaucratic hurdles imposed by Israel.
McGoldrick also criticized the inefficiency of the deconfliction system, which aims to coordinate humanitarian operations between Palestine and Israel, citing its unreliability. He advocated for establishing a direct communication channel between the UN and Israeli forces to enhance trust and facilitate safer aid delivery, particularly in light of incidents like the attack on the World Central Kitchen, where several aid workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Prior to his assignment in Palestine, Hadi served as the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis and held the position of Regional Director for the World Food Programme (WFP) covering the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Hadi’s appointment comes amidst a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with a significant death toll and ongoing challenges in accessing aid due to the blockade imposed by Israel. While there have been temporary openings at the Erez crossing to facilitate aid delivery, the situation remains dire for many Palestinians in Gaza.
