NEW YORK – Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed delivered stark condemnation of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling it a man-made catastrophe and urging immediate international action.
The statement came during a Security Council briefing focused on the deteriorating situation in Gaza, where, according to updated figures shared during the session, over 58,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 138,000 injured in relentless Israeli military operations.
“Gaza teeters on the brink of total devastation,” Ambassador said, adding death stems not only from bombardment, but from the systematic dismantling of the conditions necessary for life.
He cited harrowing examples, including death of a 7-month-old girl named Salam, who succumbed to starvation due to the lack of infant formula amid a collapsed aid system and heavily restricted humanitarian access. Her death, he emphasized, was not an isolated tragedy, but part of a broader pattern of suffering and neglect.
Ambassador also criticised current aid distribution mechanism, noting that previous UN-run system had been dismantled and replaced with a militarized, restricted setup that has proven deadly.
He pushed for Immediate reform of the failing aid mechanism, Unimpeded delivery of life-saving supplies, especially for infants and emergency access to medical supplies, shelter, and fuel.
“The catastrophe is not inevitable. It is the result of deliberate choices,” Ahmed said, saying it can and must be reversed.”
Calling for a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, he reiterated Pakistan’s support for the lifting of the blockade, full humanitarian access through the UN system—including UNRWA—and the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
