The Foreign Ministers of eight Arab and Muslim countries warned of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, further exacerbated by harsh weather conditions.
The warning follows an Israeli decision to ban the activities of 37 international NGOs operating in Gaza for failing to meet “security and transparency standards” related to disclosing information about their Palestinian staff.
Arab Concern
In a joint statement, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Türkiye voiced their deepest concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is further exacerbated by severe, harsh, and unstable weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and storms.
This coincides with a continued lack of sufficient humanitarian aid, acute shortages of essential life-saving supplies, and the slow pace of delivering essential materials needed to restore basic services and establish temporary shelters.
Dire Humanitarian Crisis
In their statement, the foreign ministers stressed that the harsh weather conditions have exposed the fragility of the existing humanitarian conditions, particularly for nearly 1.9 million Palestinians and displaced families living in inadequate shelters.
Flooded camps, damaged tents, the collapse of already fragile buildings, exposure to cold temperatures and widespread malnutrition have significantly increased risks to civilian lives, most notably among children, women, the elderly, and individuals with medical vulnerabilities due to disease outbreaks.
UN Efforts
The foreign ministers praised the tireless efforts of all UN organizations and affiliated agencies, particularly the UNRWA, as well as humanitarian NGOs, for their continued assistance to Palestinians under extremely difficult and complex circumstances.
In the light of this, the Arab and Muslim Ministers demanded Israel to ensure that the UN and international NGOs can operate in Gaza and the West Bank in a sustainable, predictable, and unrestricted manner, given their pivotal role in humanitarian response in Gaza.
They also warned that any attempt to obstruct their ability to operate is unacceptable.
Gaza Peace Plan
The foreign ministers reiterated their full support for the UNSC resolution 2803 and President Donald Trump’s comprehensive peace plan for Gaza.
They reaffirmed their willingness to contribute to the plan’s successful implementation, ensuring a sustainable ceasefire, an end to the war, a dignified life for the Palestinians who have endured a prolonged suffering, and a credible path towards Palestinian self-determination and statehood.
Ramping Up Efforts
The ministers emphasized the urgent need to immediately initiate and scale up early recovery efforts, including providing permanent and dignified shelter to protect the population from the harsh winter conditions.
Moreover, they called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and pressure Israel, in its capacity as the occupying power, to immediately lift constraints on the entry and distribution of essential supplies, including tents, shelter materials, medical aid, clean water, fuel, and support for sanitation services.
They also called for the immediate, full, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through the UN and its agencies, without interference from any party, the rehabilitation of infrastructure and hospitals, and the reopening of the Rafah Crossing in both directions, in line with Trump’s peace plan.
