On Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned the Security Council of an imminent “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and urged its members to demand an urgent humanitarian cease-fire, utilising a rarely exercised authority.
His letter to the fifteen members of the council stated that after two months of conflict characterised by “appalling human suffering, physical destruction, and collective trauma,” Gaza’s humanitarian system was on the verge of collapse.
Invoking Article 99 of the United Nations Charter, Guterres stated that the secretary-general may apprise the council of any situation that, in his opinion, poses a hazard to global peace and security. “The international community has a responsibility to use all its influence to prevent further escalation and end this crisis,” he commented.
