16 November,2023 12:09 PM IST | United Nations | mid-day online correspondent
Destriction caused in Gaza/ AP
The UN Security Council has finally adopted a resolution calling for urgent humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout Gaza to ensure essential aid reaches the region. This move comes after a month-long deadlock in the Council amid the Israel-Palestine war, stated an agency report. According to the report, the resolution, backed by 12 votes with three abstentions, urges the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas and other organisations, particularly children while emphasising the need for uninterrupted humanitarian access. It aims to enable UN agencies to deliver crucial goods and services following international humanitarian laws.
The United Kingdom, United States and Russia abstained from voting for the Malta-drafted resolution which calls for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip for a sufficient number of days to enable, consistent with international humanitarian law, the full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access" for UN's humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners to facilitate the unhindered provision of essential goods and services throughout Gaza.
The adoption of the resolution came after four failed attempts. Prior attempts faced hurdles, including vetoes by Russia and China against a US resolution affirming member states' right to self-defence against terrorism threats. Similarly, Brazil's proposal for aid pauses was vetoed by the US.
While the US resolution would have affirmed the right of member states to defend themselves against threats to peace and security posed due to terrorism, the resolution by Brazil would have called for humanitarian pauses for allow full access for aid to the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the two resolutions put forth by Moscow did not get sufficient votes in its favour.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stressed that although supporting the resolution's hostage release, the US couldn't endorse a text without condemnation of the involved parties or recognition of member states' right to protect citizens from terrorism.
She said despite Washington completely supporting the resolution's call for the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, "ultimately, the United States could not vote yes on a text that did not condemn Hamas or reaffirm the right of all Member States to protect their citizens from terrorist attacks."
Meanwhile, UK's permanent representative, Barbara Woodward, expressed 'regret' over the Council's failure to condemn the Hamas attacks of October 7 but highlighted the resolution's importance in aiding Gaza and releasing hostages.
"The barbarity of those attacks should be clear to us all. That is why we have abstained today. But let me be absolutely clear, it was vital and overdue for the Council to speak on this crisis and we strongly support the resolution's purpose: to get aid in, and hostages out," Woodward was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Russia abstained from the draft due to its absence of an immediate ceasefire call, which Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia deemed crucial for effective humanitarian action, citing difficulties in evacuating people or supplying hospitals amidst ongoing hostilities.
"That is the only reason why we turned a blind eye to the many shortcomings of the draft, the main one being the absence of a call for an immediate ceasefire. This was and remains an imperative. One cannot clear the debris and evacuate people when under fire, and also it is impossible to bring in much-needed fuel, without which Gaza's hospitals are about to run out of energy," he said adding that any humanitarian action required immediate cessation of hostilities.
With agency inputs
