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Published 22 Dec, 2023 08:55am

UN Security Council Gaza vote delayed again

The UN Security Council has once again pushed back a vote for a Gaza resolution on the war between Hamas and Israel, the international media reported on Friday.

Diplomats delayed until Friday a vote on a resolution to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The development comes as an UN-backed report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) stated that the Gaza entire population was facing a food crisis.

The latest draft version seen by AFP called for “urgent steps to immediately allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and also for creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.” But it does not call for an immediate end to fighting.

Al Jazeera reported that diplomats were not able to reach an agreement due to three of the changes to the resolution. Diplomatic sources told the Qatar based news outlet that the Russian and Palestinian ambassadors were “not happy with these changes” at all.

They came to the conclusion after well over an hour, it added.

US Ambassador at the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the country supported the new changes. But other members were not satisfied with the changes.

‘War must end’

A World Food Programme report the entire population of Gaza was experiencing crisis levels of hunger.

“Around 26% of Gazans have exhausted their food supplies and coping capacities. Without access to adequate food, clean water, health and sanitation, families face catastrophic hunger and starvation,” it said.

According to the IPC, there was a “risk of famine occurring within the next six months” if the current situation of intense conflict and restricted humanitarian access persists.

In reaction to this, UN relief chief Martin Griffiths said that the announcement about the risk of famine in Gaza was sobering but not surprising.

“We have been warning for weeks that, with such deprivation and destruction, each day that goes by will only bring more hunger, disease and despair to the people of Gaza.”

He demanded that the war must end.

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