UAE welcomes new UN Gaza Humanitarian Coordinator

The UAE has welcomed the appointment of Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, to oversee the shipment of relief to the Palestinian people.

This comes after the passing of UN Security Council Resolution 2720, which the UAE drafted and submitted on December 22nd in response to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and warnings of impending famine.

The resolution calls for "urgent steps to immediately allow safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access and to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities."

Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN, said in a statement that "We are confident that Ms. Kaag’s knowledge and experience will help ensure the swift and full implementation of the resolution, including through the monitoring and verification of humanitarian deliveries and the creation of a UN mechanism to accelerate aid into Gaza."

She said, "Given the scale of this crisis, it is critical that all parties to the conflict cooperate with the Coordinator, as well as the UN mechanism, in order to address the dire situation of the Palestinian people," adding that the UAE looks forward to Kaag's initial report on January 23, 2024.

She stressed that while the UAE remains resolute in its call for a ceasefire, the passed resolution "provides concrete measures to get vital aid in to those who need it most".

The #UAE welcomes the UN Secretary-General appointment of Sigrid Kaag as the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gazahttps://t.co/auB2dXNMXP

— MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) December 26, 2023