UN relief chief calls for removal of humanitarian restraints on Gaza

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher on Thursday called for the removal of humanitarian restraints on Gaza.



Despite recent improvements, humanitarians still face continued persistent and deliberate constraints, Fletcher told the Security Council.



"Humanitarian access continues to rely on one, at most two, operational crossings, when significantly greater capacity could easily be made available for the movement of aid and staff. Cumbersome approvals and customs procedures, combined with restrictions on so-called 'dual-use' items, limit the entry of critical humanitarian supplies," he said.



These constraints, compounded by restrictions on essential services of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), are leaving too much vital support stalled outside Gaza, and humanitarian work undermined by shortages of fuel, spare parts, armored vehicles and other protective equipment for aid workers, he added.



Fletcher called for efforts to ensure the protection of civilians, including humanitarian workers, and for efforts to ensure safe, sustained, unhindered humanitarian access to all those in need in Gaza.