UAE, 7 other Islamic nations voice concern over worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza

The Foreign Ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt expressed their deepest concern regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been exacerbated by severe, harsh, and unstable weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and storms, and compounded by the continued lack of sufficient humanitarian access, acute shortages of essential life-saving supplies, and the slow pace of the entry of essential materials required for the rehabilitation of basic services and the establishment of temporary housing.

The ministers highlighted that the severe weather has laid bare the fragility of existing humanitarian conditions, particularly for almost 1.9 million people and displaced families living in inadequate shelters. Flooded camps, damaged tents, the collapse of damaged buildings, and exposure to cold temperatures coupled with malnutrition, have significantly heightened risks to civilian lives, including due to disease outbreaks, especially among children, women, the elderly, and individuals with medical vulnerabilities.

They commended the tireless efforts of all United Nations organisations and agencies, especially UNRWA, as well as humanitarian international NGOs, in continuing to assist Palestinian civilians and deliver humanitarian assistance under extremely difficult and complex circumstances. They demanded that Israel ensure the UN and international NGOs are able to operate in Gaza and the West Bank in a sustained, predictable, and unrestricted manner, given their integral role in the humanitarian response in the Strip. Any attempt to impede their ability to operate is unacceptable.

Moreover, they reaffirmed their full support for UNSCR 2803 and President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan and their intention to contribute to the successful implementation thereof, with a view to ensuring the sustainability of the ceasefire, bringing an end to the war in Gaza, to secure a dignified life for the Palestinian people who have endured prolonged humanitarian suffering, and leading to a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.

In this context, they stressed the urgent need to immediately initiate and scale up early recovery efforts, including the provision of durable and dignified shelter to protect the population from the severe winter conditions.

The ministers called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities and to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately lift constraints on the entry and distribution of essential supplies including tents, shelter materials, medical assistance, clean water, fuel, and sanitation support. They called for the immediate, full, and unhindered humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip without any interference by either party, through the UN and its agencies, the rehabilitation of infrastructure and hospitals, and the opening of the Rafah Crossing in both directions as stipulated in President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan.

Meanwhile, International charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Friday condemned a “grave blow to humanitarian aid” after Israel revoked the status it needs to operate in Gaza for refusing to share Palestinian staff lists.

Israel on Thursday confirmed it had banned access to the Gaza Strip to 37 foreign humanitarian organisations for refusing to share lists of their Palestinian employees.

MSF, which has 1,200 staff members in the Palestinian territories, the majority of them in Gaza, said in a statement that “denying medical assistance to civilians is unacceptable under any circumstances.”

WAM / Agencies