UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the crisis in Gaza, highlighting the severe lack of support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Speaking at the “Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza” conference in the Dead Sea, Guterres added that the shortfall in UNRWA’s resources is critically hampering the agency's ability to perform its essential duties.

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Guterres emphasized that the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza are reaching an alarming level, noting that the blockade is preventing all forms of aid from entering the area.

He pointed out that 80 percent of Gaza's residents lack access to safe drinking water due to the ongoing war and interrupted aid supplies.

The UN Secretary-General also called for the release of detainees and urged both the Israeli Occupation and Hamas to swiftly reach an agreement to protect civilians and ensure the essential infrastructure for their livelihoods.

In his speech, Guterres praised His Majesty King Abdullah II and the Kingdom of Jordan for its comprehensive relief efforts in the strip, which included aid convoys, aid airdrops, and the establishment of multiple field hospitals.

The “Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza” conference aims to enhance the international community's response to the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. It seeks to identify effective mechanisms and steps for response, operational and logistical needs, and a commitment to a coordinated approach to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

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The ongoing war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian catastrophe for more than 2.3 million Palestinians, leading to widespread famine, psychological suffering, and massive destruction. Access to food, water, shelter, and medicine has become almost nonexistent.