31st January, 2024
By Cecilia Ologunagba
Ms Sigrid Kaag, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, has said no organisation can be a substitute for the UN agency assisting Palestinians (UNRWA) in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
Kaag said this while briefing newsmen after meeting with the UN Security Council on Tuesday in New York.
Kaag was in New York to brief the Security Council of the report of her new role since assumption of office 20 days ago.
Kaag’s remarks followed her first closed-door briefing to the Security Council since taking up her key coordination role pursuant to Council resolution 2720 (2023).
Her mandate is to faciliate, coordinate, monitor and verify humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza as well as establish a UN mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief shipments to the enclave through States which are not party to the conflict.
According to her, apart from a political decision, which would have to be made by the General Assembly, “there is no way any organisation can replace tremendous capacity and the fabric of UNRWA and its ability and knowledge.”
She also noted the key role the agency had played over decades, before the current conflict, in education, healthcare and other services.
The General Assembly established UNRWA in December 1949.
UNRWA’s operations are in jeopardy after several donor countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan, suspended funding in the wake of extremely serious allegations that several of its staff were involved in the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel.
The organisation has initiated an investigation, while the Secretary-General had reiterated that any employee found to be involved would be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.
Kaag, who, however, underscored the success of her mandate, said “is about the ability to achieve and meet the needs” of the civilians in Gaza.
“That is the only indicator, as far as I am concerned.”
Kaag emphasised that the absence of a humanitarian ceasefire was hampering aid efforts and causing delays.
“Currently, there is no space, given the fact that there is no ceasefire there and the conflict is raging.
“There is no space to have monitors all over Gaza to work with the agencies to see, to verify and monitor.”
She also reiterated the importance of increasing the flow of commercial goods into Gaza in addition to humanitarian assistance.
“Commercial goods need to be allowed back in,” she said.
“There will be no recovery, let alone reconstruction in future, without that broad bandwidth.”
Kaag of the Netherlandsz has held a wide range of senior positions in the UN system.
She was appointed by the Secretary-General on Dec. 26, 2023 and began her assignment on Jan. 8.
She was Special Coordinator for Lebanon from 2015 to 2017 and from 2013 to 2015, the head of the Joint UN-Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Mission in Syria.
She also served as Assistant Secretary-General with the UN Development Programme (2010-13) and was UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (2007-10).
NAN