New York - Gaza: Europe and the Arabs
The head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said that his team is seeking by all means available to draw the world's attention to the difficult conditions facing Gaza in an attempt to find a solution to them. He stressed that human rights “are not a luxury, but rather a basic requirement,” according to what was stated in the daily United Nations news bulletin, a copy of which we received this morning.
In an interview with UN News, Ajith Songai said that he understands the feeling of mistrust expressed by many around the world at the moment regarding international law, but he stressed that “the human rights law and international humanitarian law that we have today and the structure that comes with it is the best that "We have. We don't have any alternative at the moment and we have to preserve it."
He said that the work his team is doing to monitor, report and respond to protection needs has become even more important in the context of the current war.
He added: “In the era of misinformation and disinformation that we live in, especially regarding the occupied Palestinian territory and Gaza, we have truly become the independent monitoring body. As I have always said, recording violations is extremely important for accountability, and also for making different decisions. “I have full confidence that our statements and reports are seriously read by member states and leaders to make the right decision. However, I believe that there can be better decisions, especially by the Security Council. At this stage, our work becomes very important for member states and leaders to make the right decision.”
For her part, Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, said, “We have lost our moral compass towards Gaza as a humanity and an international community.” She stressed the need to take urgent measures regarding this situation, noting the delay in doing so.
In a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York, during which she reviewed a report on financing sustainable development, Amina Mohammed said in response to journalists’ questions: “We are behind. There are thousands of children who are still losing their lives and living as amputees.”
She added that there are many hostages still being held. She said: "I know very well the issue of hostage taking. I come from a country (Nigeria) where Boko Haram is still holding thousands of hostages that we lost and could not get back. It is painful for the families. We have to solve this now."