Geneva, Switzerland: The World Health Organization (WHO) has agreed on a resolution calling for immediate access to vital humanitarian aid and an end to the fighting in Gaza.
Following the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) declined to demand a truce between Israel and Hamas, the 34 countries on the WHO’s executive board adopted the resolution by consensus.
According to the statement, the resolution calling for the “immediate, sustained and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief, including the access of medical personnel.”
WHO also called on “all parties to fulfill their obligations under international law and reaffirmed that all parties to armed conflict must comply fully with the obligations applicable to them under international humanitarian law related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict and medical personnel.”
The passage of the resolution “underscores the importance of health as a universal priority, in all circumstances, and the role of healthcare and humanitarianism in building bridges to peace, even in the most difficult of situations,” the WHO said in a statement.
The UNSC has struggled to respond to the escalating crisis in Gaza that erupted after the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 captive.
As a result, Israel declared war on Hamas and has subjected Gaza, which Hamas has controlled since 2006, killing at least 18,000 people.
WHO Director-General, Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that the adoption of the resolution was a starting point.
“It does not resolve the crisis. But it is a platform on which to build. Without a ceasefire, there is no peace. And without peace, there is no health. I urge all Member States, especially those with the most influence, to work with urgency to bring an end to this conflict as soon as possible,” Mr. Ghebreyesus added.
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