The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Gaza: Acts of war bear hallmarks of atrocity crimes, warn UN humanitarians
According to local health authorities in Gaza, from 18 to 25 March, 830 people were killed, including 174 women and 322 children. A further 1,787 were injured.
“The acts of war that we see bear the hallmarks of atrocity crimes,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. “Hundreds of children and other civilians have been killed in health and Israeli airstrikes. Intensely populated areas hospitals are once again battlegrounds; patients killed in their beds, ambulances shot at and first responders killed.”
It has been 10 days since Gazans woke up to renewed Israel bombing. “It has been 10 days of witnessing - because the UN remains on the ground in Gaza - a callous disregard for human life and dignity,” Mr. Laerke maintained.
Maryse Guimond, UN Women Representative for the OPT, relayed testimonies of Palestinians in Gaza who are refusing to heed new evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military on the grounds that “there are no safe places anyway”.
Speaking from Amman, she added: “It is a situation of pure survival and survival of their families because, as they say, there is simply nowhere to go. They are telling us they will not move again since no safe places anyway. As a woman recently said to us from Deir al Balah, ‘My mother says death is the same whether in Gaza City, or in Deir al Balah; we just want to return to Gaza.’”
Echoing those concerns, Dr Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said that the situation “is as bad as it ever was”. A new ceasefire is needed immediately for the sake of all Gazans, she insisted. “We knew it was bad before the ceasefire, when we were constantly begging to be allowed to do our job and just to help the ordinary people. No, they can't keep going and that's why we're saying…we need a ceasefire right now.”
Healthcare in the enclave is also suffering from the aid blockade, with supplies dwindling dangerously low since the cut-off began on 2 March. “The key supplies now for safe labour and delivery and deliveries of so-called supplies for maternal and child health will be running out soon,” said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the OPT. A dozen ambulances have also been put out of action by a lack of fuel, the veteran humanitarian medic said, speaking from Jerusalem.
Sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel, the war in Gaza has devastated the enclave and prompted widespread international condemnation over its impact on civilians, who should be spared from violence in times of war.
“Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” OCHA’s Mr. Laerke insisted. “International law is clear, it prohibits indiscriminate attacks, obstruction of life saving aid, destruction of infrastructure indispensable for civilian survival and hostage-taking. The International Court of Justice’s provisional measures on the application of the Genocide Convention remain in place; yet the alerts that we issue in report after report reveal an utter lack of respect for the most basic principles of humanity.”
ends
STORY: Gaza Update – OCHA, WHO, UN Women
TRT: 03’27”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 28 March 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Speakers:
- Jens Laerke, spokesperson, OCHA
- Dr. Margaret Harris, spokesperson, WHO
- Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the OPT (from Jerusalem)
- Maryse Guimond, UN Women Representative for the OPT (from Amman)
SHOTLIST
- Exterior medium shot: Palais des Nations, Flag Alley
- Wide shot of podium with speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Jens Laerke, spokesperson, OCHA: “It is now day 10 of the return to full-scale war in Gaza after Israel decided to start bombing the enclave again. It has been 10 days of witnessing - because the UN remains on the ground in Gaza - a callous disregard for human life and dignity.”
- Wide shot, podium speakers, Press room.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Jens Laerke, spokesperson, OCHA: “The acts of war that we see bear the hallmarks of atrocity crimes. Hundreds of children and other civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in intensely populated areas. Hospitals are once again battlegrounds; patients killed in their beds, ambulances shot at and first responders killed.”
- Medium, journalists.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Dr Margaret Harris, spokesperson, WHO: “We're looking at a situation right now that is as bad as it ever was. We knew it was bad before the ceasefire, when we were constantly begging to be allowed to do our job and just to help the ordinary people of Gzaa to live their lives. It is now worse because people have had a blockade of food but they’ve also got the ongoing fighting and supplies are running out. And they are exhausted. And this is on top of a situation where they were already very unwell. So no, they can’t keep going, and that why we’re saying we need this to be lifted right now. We need a ceasefire right now.”
- Medium-wide, TV screens showing speaker, journalists.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Jens Laerke, spokesperson, OCHA: “We repeat: nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people; international law is clear, it prohibits indiscriminate attacks, obstruction of life saving aid, destruction of infrastructure indispensable for civilian survival and hostage-taking. The International Court of Justice’s provisional measures on the application of the Genocide Convention remain in place; yet the alerts that we issue in report after report reveal an utter lack of respect for the most basic principles of humanity.”
- Medium, Press room, journalists.
- Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the OPT (from Jerusalem): “The key supplies now for safe labour and delivery and deliveries of so-called supplies for maternal and child health will be running out - soon. I mean, we were running out. Limited availability of benzene has put out a dozen of ambulances out of use.”
- Wide, Press room, TV journalist with camera.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Maryse Guimond, UN Women Representative for the OPT (from Amman): “From 18 to 25 March in just eight days, 830 people have been killed, 174 women, 322 children with 1,787 injured.”
- Medium, journalist.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Maryse Guimond, UN Women: “It is a situation of pure survival and survival of their families because, as they say, there is simply nowhere to go. They are telling us they will not move again since no safe places anyway. As a woman recently said to us from Deir al Balah, ‘My mother says death is the same whether in Gaza City, or Deir al Balah; we just want to return to Gaza.”
- Medium, journalist.
- Medium, TV journalist with camera.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
Children in Gaza are going to bed starving, says aid agency
The biggest UN aid agency in Gaza on Tuesday condemned the two-month Israeli blockade on Gaza that has left families sharing a single tin of food at mealtime and the sick and injured without lifesaving medical help, amid daily bombardment.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
Ongoing Russian attacks in Ukraine force frontline areas to empty: UNHCR
With Ukrainian cities still reeling from this week’s deadly Russian missile and drone attacks, communities on the front line continue to be targeted too, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday. “We also see attacks on frontline regions increasing and it's, as always, civilians that are bearing the highest cost of the war,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Funding and supply shortfalls for the UN World Food Programme (WFP)'s work in Ethiopia will halt lifesaving treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children at the end of the month. “We are at the breaking point,” it said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue to kill and injure civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure, raising concerns regarding the protection of civilians, the UN Human Rights Office warned today.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNWOMEN , UNDP
Sudan: Aid teams report massive displacement after latest Darfur atrocity; women’s bodies ‘turned into battlegrounds’
In Sudan’s North Darfur, tens of thousands of people have fled a displacement camp following the massacre of civilians and aid workers as the country enters the third year of a conflict marked by horrific levels of sexual violence, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITC
Global trade could shrink by three per cent as a result of the United States’ new tariff measures which in the longer term could reshape and boost as-yet untapped regional commercial links, a top UN economist confirmed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Warring parties in Sudan are overseeing a wholesale assault on human rights amid global inaction, the UN Human Rights Office said on Friday, as the conflict is about to enter its third year.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday said Israel’s increasing issuance of so-called “evacuation orders” for Palestinians in Gaza have resulted in their forcible transfer.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , UNHCR , UNWOMEN , WFP , WHO
Two years of war in Sudan have created epic suffering, aid agencies say
Two years since Sudan’s brutal conflict began, UN agencies warned that famine is spreading and civilians of all ages continue to suffer shocking abuse, including rape and gang rape.
1
1
Edited News | UNMAS
In Gaza, ongoing Israeli military operations and the aid blockade have continued to add to daily fears and hardships confronting those in the devastated enclave, the UN Mine Action Service, UNMAS, said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNDP
Dangers grow for Myanmar earthquake survivors, health system 'overwhelmed' - UNDP
In earthquake-shattered central Myanmar people are sleeping in the streets in fear of buildings collapsing, facing early monsoon rains and the risk of waterborne diseases, the UN Development Programme warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | ICRC , OHCHR , UNHCR
Myanmar’s military has continued to launch airstrikes and other attacks against opposition forces in the devastated country, one week since a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck and despite announcing a ceasefire, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Friday.