A woman reacts after inspecting the damage caused by an Israeli strike in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, August 11, 2024. (Credit: Omar al-Qattaa/AFP)
On Aug. 19, 2003, the U.N. headquarters located at the Canal Hotel, in Baghdad, were bombed and largely destroyed, claiming the lives of 22 people, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sérgio Vieira de Mello. The attack targeted the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which at the time was accused of unethical subordination and perceived alignment with U.S. foreign policy, leading to severe consequences for civilians. Vieira de Melo himself was aware of this and barely had the time to initiate a break off from this tendency, before the attack that ended his life. In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly designated this date as World Humanitarian Day.
Twenty years later, the same misguided approaches persist, as if no lessons have been learned from the Iraq War or from the disastrous consequences of politicizing humanitarian values. However, today, U.N. agencies in the region are demonstrating real political courage by applying the lessons learned from past mistakes.
Since the massacres of civilians in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the humanitarian crisis has become catastrophic. As of Aug. 15, 2024, more than 40,005 people have been killed, including over 16,000 children and 11,000 women. Additionally, over 92,000 others have been injured, according to the health ministry in Gaza, which the U.N. deems credible.
Food and health insecurity in Gaza
The 2004 evacuation plan for the Gaza Strip established conditions for a total lockdown by Israel, giving the latter control over all imports, including food, water, communications, and power. The plan also extended to the sewage system (Article 8). This setup created a "drip" system, crucial for the population's survival. Any political violence or unrest within the enclave risks Israeli retaliation through reduced supplies and restricted borders, turning the region into an open-air prison for its inhabitants.
Today, the catastrophic state of food security reflects the severe impact of Israel's ability to control the strip. The availability of food supplies has been significantly affected by these restrictions. Rising illnesses related to overcrowding, poor water quality, inadequate hygiene, and environmental degradation are increasingly reported. Waste management is a major issue, with human fecal matter around living areas found in nearly 80% of observed cases in the most overpopulated zones. The health system is devastated, with hospitals struggling to provide care amid severe disruptions in the Gaza Strip.
UNRWA tallies an unparalleled number of casualties
As of Aug. 15 — more than 11 months after the war began on Oct. 7 — 207 staff members of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have lost their lives. This represents an unusually high death rate compared to other crisis areas. In 2022, across all U.N. agencies worldwide, there were 76 recorded deaths.
In 2019, the global mortality rate for humanitarian workers was 31 per 100,000. For UNRWA staff in Gaza, this rate has now reached 1,600 per 100,000. This indicates a mortality rate for UNRWA personnel that is 54 times higher than the average for humanitarians in other crisis zones.
In August 1949, the Geneva Conventions were signed to establish a protective framework for civilian populations in armed conflict zones and to materialize the lessons learned from the World War II. This month marks the 75th anniversary of the ratification of these conventions. In December of the same year, the United Nations General Assembly voted to create the UNRWA, embodying the efforts proposed by the founders of contemporary international humanitarian law (IHL).
Despite the disastrous situation in the Palestinian enclave, international law remains unenforced. This paralysis underscores a failure to truly enforce International Court of Justice rulings — regarding the prevention and repression of genocide in the Gaza Strip — or International Criminal Court warrants — for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Hamas and Israelis leaders.
Cornelio Sommaruga, the respected President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (1987-1999), who passed away in Geneva last February, must be turning in his grave.
"All states are therefore responsible for ensuring certain basic humane principles are observed during any conflict, including civil wars, and especially for protecting the wounded, prisoners, and civilians," he declared on May 30, 1995, during a landmark speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the World War II. His words resonate today, highlighting the current climate in the Middle East:
"But believe me, every second we assume our humanitarian responsibilities toward victims of war and political violence, I remember the moral failure of our institution in the face of the Holocaust, when it failed to act beyond the limited legal framework states had imposed on it."
The ICRC has heeded the lessons of its former President, condemning from the outset the conditions faced by civilians in Gaza alongside U.N. agencies and NGOs. Sommaruga's sentiments now echo towards the Israeli government and its allies. Undoubtedly, political leaders will eventually have to acknowledge their moral failure in the face of the tragedy befalling the Palestinians in Gaza.
Pierre MICHELETTI is a physician, member of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH), former President of Action Against Hunger and Médecins du Monde - France.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour and Translated by Claire Helligsø-Dubost.