Fifty-one countries have said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can play a role in providing urgent and long-term assistance to Palestine.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the countries, including Türkiye, the UK, Spain, Italy, and China, stated that the IAEA is an authorised body that can play a crucial role in providing urgent and long-term assistance to the State of Palestine to help alleviate the humanitarian plight in Gaza.
The joint statement was read aloud by Levent Eler, Türkiye’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Vienna, during the Board of Governors meeting.
The statement said that the IAEA can contribute to addressing Palestine’s needs in areas such as nuclear medicine, non-destructive testing, and the assessment of soil, air and water contamination.
Humanitarian catastrophe
Countries also welcomed the recent ceasefire deal in Gaza and urged all parties to comply with and implement the agreement.
The statement expressed deep concern over the humanitarian conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza, and recalled that the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza remains “significantly below” what was agreed under the ceasefire.
The Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed more than 69,000 people and wounded over 170,000 others since October 2023.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has said that more than 61 million tons of debris blanket Gaza as a result of more than two years of Israel’s genocide.
A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report has revealed that Gaza’s natural water resources are rapidly depleting, with 97 percent of groundwater failing World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
The combined environmental and humanitarian crisis leaves Gaza facing catastrophic ecological collapse and severe risks for its surviving population.
