Jordan’s King Abdullah says humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip cannot wait for a ceasefire
DUBAI: Jordan’s King Abdullah on Tuesday said that humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip cannot wait for a ceasefire and cannot be subject to a political agenda.
Speaking at the emergency international conference, the King said “today we stand at a critical turning point in human history. Our common conscience is now being tested by the disaster at Gaza. Our very humanity is at stake.”
“For eight months and without stopping until now, the residents of Gaza have been facing death and destruction, the extent of which far exceeds any other conflict in more than twenty years. The specter of famine looms on the horizon. Psychological trauma is always present, and its effects will remain for generations to come. Every place in Gaza is vulnerable to destruction,” King Abdullah added.
“There is a need for a strong coordination mechanism that includes all parties on the ground, and effective and comprehensive disengagement between actors on the ground is essential to ensure the ability of relief agencies to work, organize, and perform their duties safely, adequately, and sustainably.”
The conference, held at the invitation of King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, aims to strengthen the international community’s response to the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip by identifying effective mechanisms and steps for operational and logistical needs.
The ongoing war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian catastrophe for over 2.3 million Palestinians, leading to widespread famine, psychological suffering, and massive destruction. Access to food, water, housing, and medicine has become almost non-existent.
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and the President of the Republic of Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, arrived in Amman on Tuesday morning to participate in the conference.
Ahead of the “Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza” conference, Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya, met with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ayman Al-Safadi, on Monday. The officials discussed joint coordination in support of Palestinians and efforts to enhance joint Arab action.
They also addressed current regional and international developments, with a focus on the war in Gaza and the resulting human suffering experienced by the Palestinian people.
Lebanon’s Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, also arrived in Amman on Monday to participate in the conference held at the King Hussein bin Talal Conference Center at the Dead Sea.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani is expected to arrive on Tuesday.
– with Reuters
