–Guyana continues call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
–Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett highlights the urgent need for humanitarian aid
–says women, children bearing the brunt of the violence
THE ongoing violence in Gaza, with a death toll nearing 40,000, primarily women and children, demands urgent action and political will from the international community to end the catastrophic suffering and secure a stable future for Palestinians.
This was the impassioned plea made by Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, during a recent Security Council debate.
Rodrigues-Birkett’s address to the UN was a clarion call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.
She underscored the urgent need for the Security Council to uphold its responsibilities and take definitive action to end the violence that has left countless Palestinians dead, injured, and displaced.
“The silence has been deafening on a possible solution to end the war in Gaza,” she remarked, reflecting on the frustration of many who have watched the conflict escalate with horror.
The ambassador highlighted the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, describing it as a “multilayered catastrophe” that affects every aspect of Palestinian life.
“Its principal characteristics are oppression and repression, indignity and impunity, destruction, deprivation, and death,” she stated, painting a vivid picture of the daily suffering endured by Palestinians.
The resolution adopted five weeks ago, supporting efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, had raised hopes for peace, but the continuing violence has dashed aside those hopes, she noted.
Rodrigues-Birkett condemned the actions of Israel, calling the conflict a “barbaric war” that has resulted in a “severely mutilated population, driven from corner to corner of the Strip while bombs incessantly rain down on their severely weakened bodies.”
She stressed that life in Gaza has become synonymous with bombs, starvation, inadequate healthcare, and essential goods and services being stripped away from civilians, robbing them of everything necessary for survival.
The ambassador pointed to the severe restrictions on humanitarian aid, despite nominal openings at crossing points like Kerem Shalom/Karam Abu Salem.
These restrictions, in contravention of Security Council decisions, represent a blatant disregard for international law obligations, particularly international humanitarian law.
Rodrigues-Birkett said that the broader security situation in Gaza remains perilous due to indiscriminate bombardment and a breakdown of law and order, driven by the desperation of the circumstances.
Her call to action extended to the international community, urging member states to remember and uphold their obligations under international law.
“It is an extremely dismal reality, and we must extinguish this inferno,” she declared, demanding not only an immediate ceasefire but also the prioritisation of civilian protection.
Rodrigues-Birkett also called for the release of all hostages and Palestinians detained without trial in Israeli prisons and urged adherence to the various resolutions of the Security Council.
She highlighted the need for increased humanitarian assistance to Gaza, with a particular focus on high nutritional value food aid given the dire state of food insecurity.
The Guyanese official reminded the council of Israel’s obligation, as the occupying power, to ensure access to humanitarian relief, echoing the demands of the International Court of Justice.
The ambassador condemned the attacks on UN facilities and personnel, noting that 70 per cent of UNRWA schools have been bombed, and nearly 200 UNRWA staffers have been killed.
She called for the protection of UN and humanitarian workers, and demanded the implementation of functioning deconfliction and notification mechanisms.
Additionally, Rodrigues-Birkett stressed the need to reduce tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and to address the heightened violence between Palestinians and Israelis.
She reiterated that the two-state solution remains the only viable option for a stable future for both Palestinians and Israelis.
“Guyana is committed to doing its part to end what is perhaps the longest ongoing injustice against a people,” she affirmed, underscoring the nation’s dedication to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Rodrigues-Birkett’s powerful address at the United Nations serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for international solidarity and action to bring an end to the suffering in Gaza.
Her words resonate beyond the halls of the UN, calling on the world to stand together in the pursuit of peace and justice for the Palestinian people.
Guyana has been an active voice in the ongoing issues in Palestine, and continues to stand on the principles of justice and equity, evening managing to raise over $110 million to support relief efforts in the country.
In May, President Dr. Irfaan Ali during an engagement with representatives of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people, reaffirmed the South American nation’s commitment.
Recently, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, acknowledging the sufferings and violence in Gaza, said that Palestinians are starving because of the “failure” of the international community to come together and recognise what is going on.
Dr. Jagdeo called out Israel for its continuous crimes against Palestine, and noted that prevarication around this issue has allowed Israel to defy the entire international community.
He said: “Israel cannot bring security to itself through wiping out the Palestinian people. And that is why we support a two-State solution to this issue; the entire world supports a two-State solution to bring peace to that region to allow Israel to live in peace and security, but also the Palestinian people to live in dignity.
