Safadi warns against ‘worsening’ humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calls for increased aid

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned on Thursday of the worsening humanitarian crisis facing the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression, and Israel's refusal to permit adequate humanitarian aid into Gaza, where over 2.3 million Palestinians are on the brink of famine.

Safadi, in separate meetings with Commissioner-General of UNRWA Philippe Lazzarini, and with UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, underscored that Israel’s blockade of essential supplies, such as food and medicine into Gaza constitutes a war crime, noting that, "The international community’s response has been "disappointingly" inadequate", according to a Foreign Ministry’s statement to The Jordan Times.

Safadi also condemned Israel’s use of food and medicine as a weapon against Palestinians, labelling it a “blatant” breach of international humanitarian law. He also reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza through all available channels.

Safadi and the UN officials underlined that the only viable solution is to open all border crossings to facilitate the delivery of aid to the people in Gaza, as all other methods have proven insufficient.

Safadi also emphasised the "irreplaceable" role of UNRWA in Gaza, asserting that no other organisation can fulfil the functions that the agency performs. 

He also stressed the need to support the agency and commended many countries for reversing their decision to suspend aid to UNRWA following allegations against some of its staff members.

Also in a meeting with Catherine Colonna, chair of the Independent Review Group on UNRWA, Safadi expressed Jordan’s backing for the committee’s mission and extended his gratitude to its chairwoman for her significant contributions.