Washington( The COW News Digital)Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, delivered a powerful statement during the UN Security Council’s briefing on Gaza, warning that the humanitarian catastrophe in the region has reached its peak and that international aid is being weaponized.
“The situation in Gaza defies words—it is a man-made disaster of unimaginable proportions,” said Ambassador Ahmad. “Not only are bombs killing civilians, but the systematic destruction of essential infrastructure has pushed entire populations to the brink of survival.”
He expressed deep gratitude to Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher and Executive Director Catherine Russell for their impactful briefings and emphasized Pakistan’s support for immediate ceasefire calls and adherence to international humanitarian law.
According to Ahmad, over 58,000 people have been killed and 138,000 injured in Gaza. Health systems have collapsed, and hunger is now being used as a war tactic. He described a harrowing incident on July 12, when dozens of civilians were killed while queuing for food in Gaza City, targeted by Israeli forces.
“These were men, women, and children standing under the scorching sun in hope of a meal—but instead, they met death,” he said. “This wasn’t an isolated incident, but part of a deadly pattern that demands urgent global intervention.”
Ambassador Ahmad shared the tragic story of Salma, a seven-month-old girl who died of starvation while UN teams tried to save her. Her family had searched rubble-strewn streets for baby formula in vain. Her death was one among 67 children who succumbed to hunger last month as aid trucks remained stuck at border checkpoints.
“The current aid mechanism is failing those it is meant to serve,” he declared. “Over 798 aid workers and civilians associated with aid delivery have been killed since May, including 615 near or within aid facilities.”
Ahmad criticized the breakdown of the UN’s network of over 400 aid centers, now replaced by a highly restrictive system under the GHF. He warned that civilians are being forced into active combat zones just to access basic necessities—making aid a trap rather than a lifeline.
Calling for immediate international action, he demanded that the aid blockade end and that a neutral, transparent, and effective humanitarian delivery mechanism be restored before more lives are lost.
