Jordanian king says humanitarian access to Gaza cannot wait for ceasefire

Amman, June 12 King Abdullah II of Jordan has said that humanitarian access to Gaza cannot wait for a ceasefire and cannot be subject to the political agendas of any party.

King Abdullah made the remarks on Tuesday at the opening of an emergency humanitarian conference held in Jordan, where he stressed that Gazans are facing death and devastation that has far surpassed any conflict in more than 20 years, Xinhua news agency reported.

The king said a famine looms large and trauma is ever-present, the effects of which will remain for generations.

Calling for intensified international efforts in this regard, the king added that the international humanitarian response in Gaza has been severely lacking, with the delivery of aid facing obstacles at every level.

"Humanitarian access cannot wait for a ceasefire and cannot be subject to the political agendas of any party," he told the attendees at the conference, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"The people of Gaza are not looking to us for platitudes and speeches. They want action. And they need that now," he added.

The Jordanian king called for a robust mechanism for coordination that engages all parties on the ground, stressing that effective and comprehensive de-confliction is key to ensuring that aid agencies can perform their duties safely, sufficiently and sustainably.

The conference, co-organised by Jordan, Egypt, and the UN, aims at identifying the steps needed to ensure an active response in Gaza, as well as outlining operational and logistical needs, and committing to a unified humanitarian response.

Source: IANS