ISRAEL’S “shameful” disruption of aid and food operations in Gaza is “inexcusable and indefensible" Ireland’s Taoiseach Simon Harris said today.
Speaking from France, where he will attend a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris this afternoon, the Taoiseach said evacuation orders issued by Israel yesterday, which stopped the United Nation’s (UN) vital aid operations serving displaced Palestinians in and around Gaza, were “deeply disturbing”.
The UN confirmed that it had to temporarily suspend its aid operation in the Gaza Strip because of Israeli military evacuation orders issued yesterday.
The orders covered parts of the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in and around the central town of Deir al-Balah - where the UN has its main operations centre – forcing staff to relocate leaving many resources behind them.
“The repeated evacuation orders that the Israelis have issued have upended a whole lifesaving humanitarian hub that was set up in Deir al Balah following the evacuation of the Rafah hub back in May, and it of course severely impacts our ability to deliver essential support and services,” they confirmed in a statement.
Displaced Palestinian children pictured at a food distribution point in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, which has now been issued with an evacuation orderThe UN has also confirmed that some 50,000 children in the region now face the threat of contracting polio after a case was detected in a 10-month-old baby there last week.
It marks the first case of the disease to be recorded in the territory for 25 years, and puts tens of thousands of children born since the start of the conflict, and yet to be immunised against it, at risk.
The highly infectious disease, which mainly affects children aged under the age of five, is caused by a virus which invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours.
There is no cure for the disease, but it can be prevented through vaccination.
In response the UNICEF organisation has sent in 1.2million doses of the polio vaccine to Gaza, which arrived yesterday, but Israel’s evacuation order has meant the UN has been unable to start their vaccination campaign.
Speaking today, as he prepares to meet with Mr Macron, Mr Harris said “every minute counts” in terms of getting the necessary aid to the people in Gaza.
“Ireland is deeply disturbed by the widespread disruption to aid operations in Gaza due to ongoing Israeli military evacuation orders,” he said.
“Every minute of every hour counts in saving lives in Gaza and the fact the UN had to suspend all operations around its central hub of Deir al-Balah yesterday is inexcusable and indefensible.”
He added: “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is no longer only about those killed by missiles.
“Polio has been detected and the United Nations last night confirmed that 50,000 children born shortly before the war, or since, have not been immunised because of the collapse of the health system.
“We now have a widespread catastrophic risk of polio and other horrific diseases because of ongoing cancellation of humanitarian aid.
“The UN has rushed more than 600,000 polio vaccines to Gaza and the fact that this life-saving chain would be disrupted with evacuation orders should not be contemplated.”
The Taosieach also claimed that Israel’s “refusal” of humanitarian food parcels being sent to the conflict zone is “shameful”.
“Hunger continues to haunt the 1.1 million people who have survived shelling and fled time and time again,” he said.
“The World Food Program has confirmed it is reducing the content of its food parcels because only half of its 24,000 metric tons of food aid has made it into Gaza.
“Refusals of food and slow authorisation of passage, meaning fresh food perishes, is unconscionable and shameful.”
He added: “Ireland fully supports the international efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire, the release of hostages and the free flowing of aid.
“These efforts are intense but until they reach a conclusion, this troubling pattern of a disruption of aid has to be called out and has to stop.
“All sides need to abide by the International Court of Justice order for unhindered access for humanitarian aid.”
Mr Harris has confirmed that he will be “discussing these matters” during his meeting with President Macron today.
