Amman, Jan 6 (Petra) - The European Union on Tuesday called on the Israeli government to amend the law regulating the registration of international non-governmental organizations, which has been deemed a severe impediment to the work of humanitarian organizations in the occupied Palestinian territories, urging that they be allowed to continue delivering vital assistance without legal or administrative obstacles.
A joint statement published on the European Union’s official website, issued by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, and the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is facing serious deterioration as civilians continue to suffer. It warned that measures restricting the work of international organizations could force them to leave the area, leading to a halt in the delivery of life-saving assistance such as food, medicine, water, and shelter at a time when humanitarian needs remain at their highest levels.
The European Union urged the Israeli government to take immediate and sustained steps to ensure safe and large-scale access for aid through all available crossings and routes and to remove all obstacles hindering the work of international organizations and their United Nations partners in order to ensure the delivery of assistance to civilians in need in Gaza and the West Bank.
The statement noted that the continuation of current obstacles facing humanitarian organizations exacerbates the humanitarian crisis, particularly amid ongoing winter conditions and weakened basic infrastructure, which further intensify the suffering of the civilian population amid international calls to end such restrictions and facilitate the work of organizations on the ground.
The statement comes as part of repeated calls by countries and international institutions to Israel regarding the need to respect international humanitarian law and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid without conditions that hinder its provision to those in the greatest need.
//Petra// AF
