YouSaid · the spoken record

Thomas-Greenfield

lines on the record: 1,605
first: 2021-05-27
most recent: 2023-12-22
sittings or episodes: 219
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I therefore feel an obligation to speak about those horrors, lest we forget. It is outrageous, and it is an insult to the victims of Hamas’s brutal attack: the children who were executed in front of their parents, the families who were burned alive and the young people who were gunned down with glee. We have also seen horrifying footage that points to Hamas’s rape and sexual assault of innocent civilians. Where is the universal condemnation, and where is the outrage? This moment is a test of our capacity to empathize with the suffering of all. We must continue to hold space in our hearts for the victims of the 7 October attack, for those in Israel whose homes are targets of Hamas’s rockets and for the hostages in Gaza who were pried from their families.”
2023-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9484 (2023) · source
“All aspects of the deal must now be fully implemented, and we must encourage all Council members to support those aims. While this is real cause for hope, it does not undo the devastating toll that the conflict has had on women and children and on all innocent civilians in Israel, in Gaza and the West Bank — lives cut short tragically, debilitating injuries and emotional scars that for many, including those taken hostage, will never fade. That is the dark reality of conflict that Hamas set in motion. It has been less than two months since Hamas carried out its barbaric terrorist attack against Israel. But many members of the Council seem to have forgotten or attempted to erase the horrors of that day. And many still cannot bring themselves to unequivocally condemn Hamas’s acts of terror.”
2023-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9484 (2023) · source
“She should have been able to brief the Council today. Last night, we got welcome news: a deal that President Biden and the United States helped to broker in partnership with Egypt and Qatar. The deal was reached to secure the release of at least 50 hostages, including Americans, taken by Hamas during its brutal terrorist assault against Israel. Over the coming weeks, we will work to reunite all hostages with their families — every single one. We also appreciate the commitment that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Government have made to support an extended pause to ensure that the deal can be fully carried out, to ensure the provision of additional humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the suffering of innocent Palestinian families in Gaza and to allow time for Palestinian civilians to move to safer locations.”
2023-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9484 (2023) · source
“I thank Executive Director Bahous, Executive Director Russell and Executive Director Kanem for their briefings. We appreciate all that they are doing to alleviate the suffering of all women and children around the world. And I want to take this moment to wish Executive Director Russell a full recovery from her injuries. At the outset, I want to say that it is also critical that the Council hear from academic and civil society briefers who can speak to the plight of women and girls living under the conflict. On that point, I am disappointed that our request to have Ms. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari brief the Council was not accommodated. Ms. Halperin-Kaddari served on the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women for 12 years and has dedicated her life to the cause of ending violence against women.”
2023-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9484 (2023) · source
“We must not let Russia carry out war crimes with impunity and must not let Russia continue to weaponize food and inflict so much pain and suffering on Ukraine by attacking Ukraine’s critical infrastructure as the cold, dark winter approaches. Let us all stand with the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes until families are reunited, until children can go back to school and people can return home, and until a just and comprehensive peace, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, is secured.”
2023-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9483 (2023) · source
“And Putin is hoping that, given the number of crises before us, in the Sudan, in Syria, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Yemen, in Israel and Gaza, we will forget about the plight of the Ukrainian people. I also expect Council members will hear Russia try to change the topic today and throw a litany of whataboutisms our way. As United States Secretary of Defence Austin said during his visit to Kyiv yesterday, “The United States will continue to stand with Ukraine in their fight for freedom against Russia’s aggression both now and into the future.” We must not let Russia trample on the Charter of the United Nations.”
2023-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9483 (2023) · source
“It has threatened to attack cargo vessels in the port of the Black Sea. And earlier this month, there were reports that Russia struck a civilian vessel in the port of Pivdennyi. Those actions compromise, shipping, safety and commercial activity, and we must all call on Russia to comply with its international legal obligations and respect freedom of navigation. President Putin is counting on us. He is counting on us to become numb to the horrors his forces have carried out — the killing and the torture and the rape and other forms of sexual violence, the indiscriminate attack on civilian structure, the illegal forcible transfer and deportation of Ukraine’s children to Russia and Russian-occupied territories, as well as the transport of children from Russian-occupied territories to Belarus.”
2023-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9483 (2023) · source
“Despite those relentless attacks, the Ukrainian people have stood strong, and they continue to be a beacon of hope to the world’s most vulnerable. Ukrainian farmers continue to harvest crops even in the face of grave danger. And for a long time, grain was getting out to the world through the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye. More than 60 per cent of wheat exported through the Initiative went to developing economies, including those at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition. But Russia decided to unilaterally end that arrangement without cause and without regard for the needs of developing countries. Still, Ukraine was not deterred. By setting up a Black Sea grain corridor for ships to pass through Kyiv, Kyiv is doing everything in its power to feed the world. Russia, predictably, hates that.”
2023-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9483 (2023) · source
“And let us be clear, Russia is not only waging war on Ukraine’s people and food supply, but also waging war on vulnerable people around the world who rely on Ukraine’s food exports. We know that Russia has exacerbated global food insecurity. Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine was one of the top agricultural producers and exporters. But Ukraine’s wheat production is 35 per cent lower than pre-war levels. Why is that? It is because Russia has stolen Ukrainian grain, sabotaged farmlands and bombarded Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure and port cities. One Russian attack destroyed 60,000 tons of rain, which, according to the WFP, would have been enough to feed more than 270,000 people for a year.”
2023-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9483 (2023) · source
“I thank Assistant Secretary-General Jenča and Country Director in Ukraine at the World Food Programme (WFP) Hollingworth for their briefings today. This month we mark the ninetieth anniversary of the Holodomor, which translates to death by starvation — death by starvation. Millions of Ukrainian women, men and children perished because of the Stalin regime’s harsh and repressive policies, because of a man-made deliberate famine. It has become a cautionary tale of what happens when we let cruelty and tyranny go unchecked. But Putin has not taken heed; rather, he has taken inspiration. Like Stalin, Putin has used food as a weapon of war, and like Stalin, Putin has inflicted hunger and death on Ukraine.”
2023-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9483 (2023) · source
“As we mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we must make sure that sustainable development is grounded in the principles of that foundational document — one to which we all are party. We must work to make that a reality for every single person so that we can finally realize the vision of a world without conflict. The futures of our children and our grandchildren depend on that.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“To that end, we appreciate the important roles played by the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund to identify and support States and communities experiencing fragility. I hope that we can harness the momentum of today’s event to increase the Council’s engagement with those organizations and support their work on conflict prevention, because we know that such crises result in so much senseless death and destruction and set back progress on every SDG. There is no doubt that the work will not be easy — in fact, we know it is not easy. But now is not the time for cynicism. Rather, this is a moment for renewed focus and shared dedication.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“As we do, and indeed as we work to meet all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United States is committed to putting SDG 17, on partnership, at the forefront of our approach. We will work bilaterally and regionally with the United Nations and other multilateral institutions to that end. I want to be clear: as we recommit to promoting peace through development and development through peace, we must ground ourselves in principles of both human rights and conflict prevention. And we must ensure that no one is left behind. Failing to do that makes development work all the more difficult and sets us up to be reactive, rather than proactive, when it comes to securing peace. We need to identify instability and places where a lack of development and of fundamental freedoms heightens the risk of conflict.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“Together with the Group of Seven, we committed to mobilize $600 billion in new investments by 2027 through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, including hundreds of billions of dollars in private sector investment. As the world’s major economies mobilize financing for development, it is imperative that we all ensure that such lending is responsible and transparent; that we prevent, rather than contribute to, unsustainable debt and even debt distress; and that we all come to the table together to help borrowers struggling to pay off their debts. The United States has been working with a broad coalition to evolve the multilateral development banks and to expand, by hundreds of billions of dollars, the availability of safe and sustainable financing, especially for the poorest countries.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“But proactivity is necessary, because we have seen how difficult it is to take action after conflict has already broken out. Take, for instance, global food insecurity. We know that conflict is the number one cause of hunger, but we also know that hunger is a driving force of conflict. It is our job to disrupt that cycle. In 2022, the United States was proud to provide over half of the World Food Programme’s budget. But more than just responding to current famines, we need to work collaboratively to prevent future ones — whether it is helping to develop climate-smart crops and agricultural practices or helping family farmers to secure equal access to land, knowledge and financial support. That same spirit of equity applies to our financing strategy as well.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“Let me start by thanking China for convening today’s important discussion on peace and sustainable development. I would also like to thank all of the briefers for their insights. When all people in a country are not able to enjoy the benefits of development equally or when they cannot exercise their fundamental human rights, the risk of violent conflict increases. As members of the Security Council, it is our job to maintain international peace and security, which means that we have the responsibility to strengthen human rights and promote equitable development so that we can prevent conflict before it spirals out of control. Let me be clear: the promotion and strengthening of human rights are not conflict drivers, as we have heard.”
2023-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9482 (2023) · source
“There is no shortage of crises before us in Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere. But we must continue to address the dire needs of the Sudanese people and to push for peace. It is far past time for the parties to put down their weapons and resume civilian governance. Let us all do everything possible to help the Sudanese people secure the freedom, peace and justice they deserve.”
2023-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9480 (2023) · source
“Let us be clear that there can be no military solution to this conflict, and external actors that provide arms or support to the warring parties are only throwing fuel on the fire. The immediate focus must be on protecting civilians, providing humanitarian assistance to those in dire need and negotiating an end to the conflict. In September, nearly two decades after I visited the refugee camp in Adré, I returned. Once again, Adré was sheltering thousands of people who had fled fighting in the Sudan. It was as if I was stepping back in time and reliving the horrors of the past. I once again saw children who were in critical condition, whose ankles were swollen and bodies blistered from malnutrition. I once again saw parents desperate to help their children. How can we let this happen again? How can we allow children to suffer like this?”
2023-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9480 (2023) · source
“Following the first round of reconvened negotiations, the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces committed to participating in a joint humanitarian forum led by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to resolve impediments to humanitarian access and the delivery of assistance. The two parties also agreed to identify points of contact to assist with movements of humanitarian personnel and assistance, and resolved to implement confidence-building measures, including establishing communication between the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, arresting prison escapees and fugitives and reducing hostile rhetoric. The world is now closely watching their next steps to see whether they live up to those commitments — or break yet another set of promises to the Sudanese people.”
2023-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9480 (2023) · source
“A staggering 19 million children in the Sudan are unable to return to their classrooms, creating one of the worst education crises in the world. More than 24 million Sudanese are in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance. The United States has stepped up as the world’s leading humanitarian donor to the Sudanese response effort. But only a fraction of the United Nations appeal has been funded. Today we call on all Member States to do more and to give more. Yet we know that sustained peace is the only way to save lives and end this humanitarian crisis. That is why the United States, together with Saudi Arabia and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, has reconvened ceasefire talks between the parties.”
2023-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9480 (2023) · source
“We said never again, but so far those have proved empty words. We have failed to hold the perpetrators of those evils to account, and that needs to change immediately. For its part, the United States is committed to securing justice for the people of Darfur. While I was in Chad in September, I announced sanctions and visa restrictions on key RSF leaders, and the United States welcomes the establishment of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan. We must keep going with this. There must be accountability. This conflict is nothing more than two generals fighting for power in a selfish, callous and senseless way. It has caused the largest displacement crisis in the world, with nearly 6 million civilians fleeing their homes in search of a semblance of safety.”
2023-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9480 (2023) · source
“We call on all Member States to uphold the United Nations arms embargo on Darfur. We urge the warring parties to immediately cease their attacks in and around El Fasher and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law concerning civilians, as reaffirmed in the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians in the Sudan of 11 May. We also know that conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, has been rampant. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, women and girls are being abducted, chained and held against their will in RSF-controlled areas in Darfur. Let me repeat that. Women and girls are being abducted, chained and held against their will. That is all happening on our watch, and it is a stain on our collective humanity.”
2023-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9480 (2023) · source
“The RSF and allied militias have carried out massacres and other horrific abuses across West Darfur, and just this week eyewitnesses reported further human rights abuses in West Darfur, the ethnic targeting of the ethnic African Masalit community and the arbitrary detention of civilians, including local leaders, human rights defenders and activists. According to doctors and the United Nations, more than 800 people and counting were killed in a multi-day attack in Ardamata, in what may amount to the single largest mass killing since the war erupted in April. We are deeply alarmed by reports that the RSF used heavy weapons to attack El Fasher and by credible reports that both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces have failed to take sufficient measures to prevent civilian casualties in the city’s residential neighbourhoods.”
2023-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9480 (2023) · source
“I met families who had left everything behind to find safety, and I saw babies who were severely malnourished, their parents forced to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their children. When the most recent Juba Peace Agreement was signed, there was a new-found hope for sustained peace. But today that hope has faded, and another war has turned the Sudan into a living hell. The conflict has gone on for longer than six months, and in that time, the warring parties — the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — have engaged in a brutal struggle for power, with total disregard for the lives of the Sudanese people. More than 5,000 people have been killed and more than 5.7 million have had to flee their homes. Khartoum has been devastated, and Darfur is also bearing the brunt of the conflict.”
2023-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9480 (2023) · source
“I thank Assistant Secretary-General Pobee for her briefing and for her leadership in the face of this dire crisis. The United States strongly supports the efforts of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan (UNITAMS), and we call on all Council members to continue to stand behind it as it works to support an end to the conflict, protect human rights, promote unhindered humanitarian assistance and facilitate the resumption of a process that can move the Sudan towards a democratic political settlement. I also note that we look forward to the recommendations in the Secretary-General’s strategic review of UNITAMS. Nineteen years ago, in a different role, I visited a refugee camp in Adré, in Chad. It was overflowing with refugees fleeing a horrific civil war in the Sudan.”
2023-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9480 (2023) · source
“For this generation of children, and for the next generation, we have a responsibility to strive for a brighter future. We must ensure Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in States of their own, with equal measures of security, freedom, opportunity and dignity.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“It must include a sustained mechanism for reconstruction in Gaza, and it must ensure that there is no use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or violent attacks. It must also include a pathway to a two-State solution. I know it is hard to see that brighter future in this moment of darkness, but we must — we have to. It breaks my heart that we will never be able to bring back the children who have lost their lives or erase the trauma Israeli and Palestinian children living under this conflict are experiencing. As we speak, Palestinian children are fleeing the fighting in Gaza, crying out for help. As we speak, Israeli children, including a three-year-old American, are being held hostage by Hamas. Israeli children have been displaced from their homes, which are also under rocket attack.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“And that is why from the very start, President Biden and Secretary Blinken have worked exhaustively with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, alongside our regional partners, to respond to this crisis. To save lives, we all need to support the heroic efforts of the United Nations and other humanitarian workers in Gaza, and we all need to work with partners in the region to secure the release of all hostages and prevent this conflict from spreading. As we do so, we believe we must also start to look to the future and lay the groundwork for a sustained peace. This must put the Palestinian people’s voices and aspirations at the centre of post-crisis governance in Gaza. It must include Palestinian-led governance and Gaza unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“All civilians should be protected. That means that Hamas must stop using people, including hospital staff and patients, as human shields. Those are acts of unthinkable cruelty and cowardice. It also means that as Israel exercises its right and indeed its responsibility to protect its people from acts of terror, it must do so in a way that is consistent with the laws of war. And I want to be clear that the United States does not want to see firefights in any hospitals when innocent, helpless, sick people are trying to get the medical care that they so desperately need. Patients and the people who care for them must be protected, full stop. Ultimately, while this resolution is a step forward, its adoption alone will not save lives.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“The loss of every single innocent life is devastating, and we grieve for all who have been killed — Israelis and Palestinians, men, women, children and elderly people, people of all nationalities and faiths and more than 100 United Nations staff and the families and loved ones of workers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East caught in the crossfire. Over the past few weeks, I have spoken with humanitarian leaders who have teams in the region, and I have heard time and time again that while humanitarian workers are exhausted and often in grave danger, they are determined to fulfil their life-saving mission. And I am in awe of their bravery. Humanitarians are putting themselves in harm’s way to save lives, but they should not have to, because they should be protected.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“We continue to work tirelessly to increase deliveries of aid and we are hopeful that humanitarian pauses will help the United Nations and humanitarian partners deliver aid and enable safe passage for civilians fleeing violence. We have been clear about our expectation that the parties to the conflict will comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. And for Israel that is an added responsibility, as Hamas has deeply embedded itself within the civilian population in Gaza. But we have been clear at the highest levels that Hamas’s actions do not lessen Israel’s responsibility to protect innocent people in Gaza. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one clear urgent goal — saving innocent lives. The toll that this conflict has taken on civilians is tragic.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“For starters, while the text does not include a condemnation of Hamas, it is the first time that we have ever adopted a resolution that even mentions the word “Hamas”. In addition, we fully support the resolution’s call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. That is a humanitarian imperative. We are working tirelessly to facilitate the safe return of all hostages, including nine missing Americans and one permanent United States resident. We have also advocated for humanitarian pauses to allow full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to civilians in Gaza. While we have made some progress in ramping up the flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, much more is urgently needed. The current levels are woefully insufficient.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“If they did, they would not use civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, schools, mosques and hospitals to store weapons and operate command-and-control nodes. They would not use innocent, vulnerable people as human shields. Ultimately, the United States could not vote yes on a text that did not condemn Hamas or reaffirm the right of all Member States to protect their citizens from terrorist attacks. The Council has repeatedly made it clear that we stand against all acts of terror. This horrific attack must be no exception. And the United States will continue to urge the Council to condemn Hamas’s actions. Although the United States is deeply disappointed by what is not in this text, we support many of the important provisions that the Council has adopted.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“At the top, I want to say that I am horrified that a few members of the Council still cannot bring themselves to condemn the barbaric terrorist attack that Hamas carried out against Israel on 7 October. What are they afraid of? What is stopping them from unequivocally condemning the action of a terrorist organization that is determined to kill Jews and that gunned down civilians, burned families alive and executed children, a group that killed and took hostages, including children, from more than a dozen countries, including the United States? There is no excuse for failing to condemn those acts of terror. Let us be crystal clear. Hamas set this conflict in motion because Hamas cares only about the death and destruction of the Israeli people. They do not care one whit about the safety and protection of the Palestinian people.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“Over the past month, the world has watched with understandable frustration and increasing concern as the Security Council has been unable to speak out on a pressing matter of international peace and security. And it was not for lack of trying. We got very close last month when the United States put forward a strong and balanced draft resolution that would have been adopted if not for vetoes by Russia and China (see S/PV.9453). And honestly, I think that many had given up hope that we would ever speak on this conflict. But that is exactly what we just did. We got it done because most of us worked constructively and in good faith to adopt resolution 2712 (2023), and I want to thank Malta and other members of the Council for leading the initiative.”
2023-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9479 (2023) · source
“It is unconscionable that Hamas’s actions are not condemned by the General Assembly. As I have said before, the United States will continue to engage with any Council member and any Member State that is committed to adopting a strong and balanced draft resolution. But any Council product must support direct diplomacy efforts that can save lives and advance the prospects of a more peaceful and secure future for the region. Even at this difficult moment, we must keep hope alive. We must work towards a brighter future, a future where Israelis and Palestinians have equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity and dignity, a future where Palestinians realize their legitimate right to self-determination and a State of their own, a future where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“That is one of the many reasons that, last week, the United States put forward a strong and balanced Security Council draft resolution (S/2023/792), on which we consulted with all Member States and worked to forge consensus. The draft resolution received the support of the majority of the Council, but Russia and China blocked its adoption (see S/PV.9453). Following the veto, action moved to the General Assembly, where Member States were asked to vote for draft resolution A/ES-10/L.25, which was grossly one sided and was missing two keywords — “Hamas” and “hostage”. Those deliberate omissions give cover and empower Hamas’s brutality. During the emergency special session, we also heard a few Member States implicitly endorse Hamas’s acts of violence. Frankly, I was shocked and appalled. It is outrageous, and it must be called out.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“We must do everything possible to save lives, and President Biden has expressed his support for humanitarian pauses in the fighting so as to allow hostages to get out, humanitarian aid to reach and be distributed within Gaza and safe passage for civilians, which will help people access humanitarian assistance or move to safer locations. We also continue to urge all Member States to work to prevent a spillover of the crisis. Last week, Secretary Blinken asked the Council to send a firm, united message to any State or non-State actor that is considering opening up another front against Israel or who may target Israel’s partners, including the United States — do not do it. This is a matter of international peace and security, and the Council must speak out.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“We are the single-largest donor to the Palestinian people, having contributed more than $1 billion to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East since 2021, and President Biden recently announced an additional $100 million in humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. But of course, no amount of aid will matter if it cannot reach people in need, and the United States continues to work with Israel, Egypt, the United Nations and other partners to facilitate the rapid and sustained flow of assistance. Food, fuel, water, medicine and other essential services must be restored. And while the number of trucks entering Gaza continues to increase, it is not nearly enough. The amount of humanitarian assistance flowing into Gaza must be scaled up urgently.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“We condemn the killings of Palestinian civilians and urge Israel to prevent those attacks, working with the Palestinian Authority. The Biden Administration also shares the international community’s concern about telecommunications shutdowns in Gaza. We have made that clear to Israeli leaders, and we understand that communication networks have started to be restored. That is essential. A shutdown of telecommunications imperils the lives of civilians, United Nations personnel and humanitarian workers — and risks exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Lives hang in the balance, and we must all step up — as the United States has done.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“That means that Hamas must not use Palestinians as human shields — an act of unthinkable cruelty and a violation of the law of war. That also means that Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians. Yesterday President Biden spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu and reiterated that, while Israel has the right and the responsibility to defend its citizens from terrorism, it must do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law. The fact that Hamas operates within and under the cover of civilian areas creates an added burden for Israel. However, that does not lessen its responsibility to distinguish between terrorists and innocent civilians. The United States is also deeply concerned by the significant uptick in violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“There is no hierarchy when it comes to protecting civilian lives — a civilian is a civilian is a civilian. It has been three weeks since Hamas killed more than 1,400 innocent civilians and took more than 200 people hostage. Gaza-based militants continue to fire barrages of rockets towards Israel. The citizens of dozens of Member States are still being held hostage by Hamas. In addition, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is growing more dire by the day. At this moment of pain and sorrow and suffering, we must all come together. We must all come together to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, address the immense humanitarian needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, affirm Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorism and remind all actors that international humanitarian law must be respected.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Commissioner-General Lazzarini, Executive Director Russell and Director Doughten and their teams for the courageous work done by them under the most difficult circumstances. Humanitarian actors have stepped up, as they always do, to try and save lives in the midst of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. That work is heroic, but tragically it comes with great risk. We mourn the more than 60 United Nations staff who have been killed in Gaza since the start of this conflict. The lives of United Nations personnel must be protected. The lives of humanitarian workers must be protected. The lives of journalists must be protected. The lives of all civilians — innocent civilians, Israelis and Palestinians, men and women, children and the elderly — must be protected.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“We welcome the progress made by MINURSO in the resupply of its team sites to sustain those crucial operations. The continuation of safe and regular resupply operations and continued respect for MINURSO’s freedom of movement are vital. We remain deeply concerned by the humanitarian conditions in Tindouf. The poor living standards, threats to food security and lack of access to basic services require a collective response. The United States, as the largest donor to the humanitarian response, is committed to doing our part. But we must all step up. People across Western Sahara and the region are counting on us. Today was a positive step, but we must continue to push progress forward.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9460 (2023) · source
“In adopting this resolution, members of the Council underscored the urgent need for a successful political process. We again call on all parties to engage with the Personal Envoy in good faith and to work towards a sustainable political solution. A political solution is critical to promoting a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of Western Sahara and the region, and the United States continues to view Morocco’s autonomy plan as serious, credible, realistic and one potential approach to satisfying those aspirations. By renewing the mandate, the Council has also affirmed the critical role of MINURSO, which works to de-escalate tensions, monitor and report on the situation on the ground and foster the conditions for the political process to advance.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9460 (2023) · source
“The United States is pleased to see the Security Council reaffirm its support for the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, and for United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), led by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Alexander Ivanko, with the adoption of resolution 2703 (2023). Today the Council sent a clear message that we must intensify efforts to advance an enduring and dignified resolution for Western Sahara without further delay. Although this resolution received widespread support, we regret that the Council was not unanimous in renewing the mandate, as unity greatly enhances United Nations efforts to achieve peace. The United States strongly supports Personal Envoy de Mistura and his efforts to advance the political process.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9460 (2023) · source
“The Council must give the United Nations the support it needs to maintain unhindered access to all Syrians, through all modalities, for as long as needed, and the Council — and all Member States — must continue to stand with the Syrian people in their time of need.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9459 (2023) · source
“In addition, we must work to identify all avenues for advancing the stalled political process, including by supporting the important work of the Women’s Advisory Board. While we work towards a sustainable political solution, we must also continue to address the dire humanitarian situation. The United States welcomes the continued flow of United Nations convoys across the Türkiye-Syria border, which provides life-saving aid to millions in need, as we heard from Ms. Wosornu. However, we are mindful that the United Nations arrangement with the regime regarding the Bab Al-Salam and Bab Al-Rai crossings could lapse as soon as 13 November. There is no reason that the arrangement should not be renewed, and we urge the Al-Assad regime to do so. We must all urge the regime to do so.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9459 (2023) · source
“On the political front, we are closely monitoring the sustained protests over the past two months, many of them led by women, in southern Syria, including in Al-Suwayda and Dara’a. We fully support Syrians’ freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including when exercised in protest in pursuit of dignity, freedom, security and justice. Those protests also underscore the need for a Syrian-focused and Syrian-led solution to the conflict. We commend Special Envoy Pedersen’s continued focus on the political track, in line with resolution 2254 (2015), despite the Al-Assad regime’s obstructionism. Resolution 2254 (2015) remains the only viable road map for a lasting solution to the conflict.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9459 (2023) · source
“Neither the Al-Assad regime nor Russia has even tried to offer a plausible explanation for those horrors. For years now, their strategy has been to deny, deflect and disinform — to claim that anyone who opposes them is a terrorist, that any target they choose is legitimate and that any report of civilian harm is fabricated. That is not how responsible nations behave. It is not the standard to which the United States holds itself, or to which we hold our partners and allies. The Al-Assad regime and Russia will no doubt take the floor to decry our support for Israel. The difference is that democracies conduct military operations in self-defence and in a way that is intended to minimize civilian harm. They do not intentionally target civilians.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9459 (2023) · source