UN briefing: aid must enter Gaza ‘at scale,’ Tom Fletcher tells Security Council

Tom Fletcher, who briefed the United Nations Security Council, told members that the General Assembly gave the U.N. a humanitarian mandate in "resolution 46/182" and laid out principles of "humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence." He said those principles require that "aid must go where needs are greatest and without discrimination" and that humanitarian workers "answer to civilians in need, not the warring parties."

Fletcher said Gaza is facing sharply escalating humanitarian needs and provided a series of operational and health statistics to illustrate the scale. "Food is running out. Those seeking it risk being shot. People are dying trying to feed their families," he said. He reported that in June more than 5,800 children were diagnosed as acutely malnourished and that health facilities are severely impaired: "Only 17 of 36 hospitals and 63 of 170 primary health care centers are functioning. All only partially," Fletcher said, adding that "70% of essential medicines are out of stock" and that "half of all medical equipment has been damaged."

Fletcher described how fuel and aid move into Gaza and the obstacles involved. He said Israeli authorities have allowed two…