NEW YORK: The United Nations (UN) named an outgoing Dutch minister its humanitarian coordinator for Gaza on Tuesday after last week’s UNSC resolution which called for help to be provided to the strip “at scale.”
The new appointment comes as the people of in the Gaza Strip face a dire humanitarian emergency, with help slowed to a trickle by Israel’s continued bombing of the densely populated area.
In a statement, the UN said that Sigrid Kaag will assume work on January 8.
UN Names Sigrid Kaag Humanitarian Coordinator for Gaza
Last week’s UNSC resolution called for the “unhindered and safe delivery of humanitarian help at scale” — but did not call for an immediate ceasefire to end the fighting in the Strip.
As Israel continued targeting civilian infrastructures, the Gaza health ministry on Tuesday reported that more than 20,915 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in the besieged Gaza Strip since the launch of Israel’s military campaign on October 7.
More than 54,918 individuals have been wounded during more than 11 weeks of relentless Israeli bombardments in the Gaza Strip.
In the last 24 hours alone, the health ministry confirmed 241 more deaths and 382 new injuries, underlining the current severity of the situation in the Gaza Strip as Israel intensified its brutal military attacks.
Adding to the distress, Israeli air strikes targeted the Palestinian Red Crescent Society headquarters in the al-Amal district, western Khan Younis. The attack caused huge damage to the upper floor of the building, impacting the entire facility and neighboring properties.
Meanwhile, the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported demolitions in Furush Beit Dajan and Deir Ballut in the occupied West Bank. The UN agency categorizes the destroyed structures as including residential buildings, livelihood-related facilities, service-related structures, or parts of infrastructure.
Since the start of 2023, a total of 1,094 structures have been demolished in the occupied West Bank, leading to the displacement of at least 2,127 Palestinians.
