RAMALLAH, July 31, 2014 (WAFA) – President Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday declared the Gaza Strip a ‘humanitarian disaster zone,’ calling upon the UN Secretary-General and the international community to assume their responsibility to meet the pressing needs of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as to declare it a humanitarian disaster zone. In a letter sent to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Abbas called upon the later to assume his responsibility in accordance with the United Nations’ Charter, particularly Article 99, and to declare a state of emergency in the coastal enclave. Abbas urged Ban to meet the urgent needs of besieged Gaza and to use all available tools within the UN to provide humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza, in light of the ‘grave humanitarian crisis.’ He also called upon the UN to make available safety shelters for the displaced civilians in Gaza, and to provide them with food, drinking water, medication and other necessary needs. Meanwhile, Abbas demanded that the UN should act to establish safe humanitarian corridors inside the Gaza Strip to facilitate transfer of humanitarian relief and supplies, in addition to a safe humanitarian action area to shelter displaced families. He reiterated his demands for protecting the Palestinian people against the Israeli practices and ongoing aggression in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which so far resulted in the killing of at least 1200 Palestinians, the injury of around 7000 others, and the internal displacement of around 200 thousand Palestinians. Abbas further dismissed Israel’s ‘self-defense’ claims under which it has perpetrated relentless massacres against innocent Palestinians, including children, women and elderly, in Gaza. He also said the Israeli aggression undermines the right of the Palestinian people to life, which is based on the international law is a non-derogable right even in the most exceptional circumstances. Abbas stressed that he will not spare an effort to save the Palestinian blood, as well as to bring about the inalienable rights of the Palestinians, including freedom and peace. “The humanity is being assaulted in Gaza,” said Abbas, calling on the UN to put an end to this ‘injustice’ and to protect the Palestinian people, who have the right to live in freedom, security and dignity.”
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 12:59:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015