December 23, 2023 | Author: News Desk
United Nations, Dec 23: The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution that demanded scaling up humanitarian assistance throughout the Gaza Strip but did not call for a ceasefire which the UN Secretary General said was “needed” for aid to be effectively delivered.
After days of intense negotiations and delays on a vote, the 15-nation Council on Friday adopted the United Arab Emirates-drafted resolution with 13 votes in favour, none against and abstentions by Russia and the US.
The resolution demanded that parties to the conflict “allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip, and in this regard calls for urgent steps to immediately allow safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access and to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.” It also demanded allowing and facilitating the use of “all available routes to and throughout the entire Gaza Strip, including border crossings.” The resolution however did not call for a ceasefire and experts described it as being “watered-down”.
