The United Nations Security Council, consisting of 15 member countries and led by Switzerland, along with support from over 90 nations, passed a resolution on Friday focusing on the safety and security of humanitarian workers in Gaza. The resolution particularly highlights the risks faced by locally recruited aid workers.
The resolution, adopted by 14 countries with Russia abstaining, expresses deep concern over the vulnerability of aid workers and calls for concerted efforts and concrete risk mitigation strategies to be put in place.
UN relief chief Martin Griffiths welcomed the decision, emphasizing the severe impact of Israel's military operations in the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah. Griffiths stated that the ground incursion in Rafah has led to the displacement of over 800,000 people, who are fleeing in fear for their lives and arriving in areas lacking adequate shelter, latrines, and clean water.
Griffiths further highlighted the significance of Security Council Resolution 2730, which calls for the protection of humanitarian workers, and the recent order from the International Court of Justice to open the Rafah crossing to provide aid at scale and halt the military offensive in the region. He described this as a moment of clarity, alluding to the world court's ruling on Friday.
