UN Chief Guterres Urges Israel to Reconsider Gaza and West Bank NGO Ban

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a statement urging Israel to reverse its decision to ban 37 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The NGOs, which include several country chapters of Doctors Without Borders, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the International Rescue Committee, were targeted for failing to meet new registration requirements.

According to Guterres’ spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, the work of these organizations is “indispensable to life-saving humanitarian efforts.” The ban, which is set to take effect on March 1, requires aid groups to provide detailed information about their staff members, funding, and operations. Experts have criticized this requirement as arbitrary and in violation of humanitarian principles.

The UN Secretary-General has expressed concerns that the suspension of these organizations’ work will undermine progress made during a recent ceasefire. Israel had previously imposed severe restrictions on aid entering Gaza prior to the ceasefire, which was meant to provide unhindered access to essential supplies. However, humanitarian groups have reported that Israel continues to prevent adequate aid from reaching the enclave.

Guterres has stated that the NGO ban will further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nearly all of the population has been displaced and many are living in temporary shelters. The foreign ministers of several countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia, have also warned about deteriorating conditions in Gaza, citing risks to civilian lives due to flooded camps, damaged buildings, and exposure to cold temperatures.

The international community has been called upon to pressure Israel to lift constraints on the entry and distribution of essential supplies, including tents, shelter materials, medical assistance, clean water, fuel, and sanitation support.

Source: Al Jazeera