Thursday, 20th August 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 26th July 2025, 12:38 PM
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday issued a searing rebuke of the international community’s response to the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, calling it a “moral crisis that challenges the global conscience.”
Speaking via video link to Amnesty International’s global assembly, Guterres denounced the global failure to respond to the growing starvation and suffering of civilians in Gaza, stating:
“I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community — the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity.”
Gaza’s Humanitarian Collapse
| Crisis Aspect | Details |
| Starvation | Rapidly increasing, particularly among children |
| Aid Blockade | Enforced by Israel since March; partially eased two months later |
| New Aid Oversight | Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) now manages aid, replacing the previous UN-led system |
| Death Toll | Over 1,000 Palestinians killed since 27 May while trying to access food aid |
| Child Testimonies | Children speak of preferring death as there is “at least food in heaven” |
Guterres on October 7 and Aftermath
While Guterres reiterated his condemnation of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel — the spark for the current conflict — he stressed that:
“Nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since. The scale and scope is beyond anything we have seen in recent times.”
He described holding video calls with UN humanitarian staff who themselves are starving in Gaza:
“Words don’t feed hungry children.”
Criticism of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)
| Organisation | Position on GHF |
| UN | Refuses to work with GHF, citing alignment with Israeli military aims |
| Aid Agencies | Accuse GHF of undermining humanitarian neutrality |
| ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric | Declared, “There is no excuse for what is happening in Gaza… the stripping of human dignity has long exceeded every acceptable standard — both legal and moral.” |
Spoljaric noted the ICRC has over 350 staff in Gaza, many of whom are themselves struggling for food and clean water.
Guterres’ Call to Action
The UN Secretary-General called for immediate, concrete steps to address the crisis:
“We need action:
He concluded with a pledge that the UN stands ready to dramatically scale up its humanitarian operations in Gaza if a ceasefire deal is reached between Israel and Hamas.
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