Pakistan envoy at UN urges end to Gaza blockade, calls it collective punishment by starvation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top diplomat at the United Nations on Tuesday called for an immediate end to Israel's blockade of Gaza, labeling the restriction of humanitarian aid as a violation of international law and a form of collective punishment through mass starvation.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in the war-torn Palestinian territory, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed emphasized the dire consequences of the blockade, which has been in place since March this year.
The blockade has severely restricted the entry of food, fuel and medical supplies, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
According to the World Health Organization, the blockade has led to severe shortages of essential supplies, with reports indicating that approximately 470,000 people are facing significant levels of hunger.
'The blockade imposed since 2nd March must be lifted,' Ahmed said. 'Humanitarian access is not a favor – it is a legal obligation. Aid convoys and medical teams must be protected and allowed to operate freely and safely.'
'The normalization of starvation as a weapon of war is a crime,' he continued. 'Collective punishment must end, and accountability must be ensured. The Gaza Reconstruction Plan must be fully and actively supported, and no forced displacement of Gazans must be tolerated.'
The ambassador's remarks come amid escalating concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The situation has been described as a deliberate starvation of a civilian population as a method of warfare by various humanitarian organizations.
UN agencies have reported that the blockade has resulted in the closure of bakeries and the depletion of food stocks, leaving the population with limited access to basic necessities.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has also highlighted the challenges faced in delivering aid, noting that humanitarian supplies have not entered Gaza for several weeks.
Ambassador Ahmed called upon the international community to take decisive action to alleviate the suffering of the Gazan people and to uphold the principles of international humanitarian law.
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