Notícias
Address by Minister Mauro Vieira at Cairo Ministerial Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza
Distinguished Ministers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As I commend Egypt for the organization of this Conference, I recall its history of collaboration for the stability of the Middle East, as reflected in the country’s efforts in facilitating dialogue for a cease-fire for Gaza and in its commitment to maintaining Rafah and Karam Abu Salem humanitarian corridors open.
Mr. President,
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is not a catastrophe. It is the worse human-created calamity bears the hallmarks of a genocide, as acknowledged by the International Court of Justice.
As President Lula underscored, “the right to defend itself has turned into the right to vengeance”. And women and children bear the brunt of this unimaginable suffering.
Ensuring sustainable, predictable, and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza is a moral imperative.
This is why President Lula pledged to increase Brazil’s contribution to UNRWA by fivefold. In his speech to the League of Arab States, in Cairo, in February this year, President Lula committed to make new contributions to the Agency.
As we have announced before, Brazil has just deposited USD 445,000 in addition to our regular contribution. This contribution underscores the unwavering support of Brazil to the indispensable, irreplaceable, and courageous work of UNRWA.
Mr. President,
The protection of civilian populations is not negotiable, because access to humanitarian aid is also a legal obligation.
The International Court of Justice’s provisional measures issued on January 26th unequivocally ordered the government of Israel to ensure the provision of essential basic services and humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Just last week, we however heard from the United Nations the staggering news that virtually no aid has reached Northern Gaza for over 40 days.
This comes after UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food had released a report two months earlier detailing a deliberate policy of starvation of the population of Gaza.
The cruel and systematic strategy exposed by Special Rapporteur Michael Fakhri can be summarized in three words: starve, displace, and bomb.
Famine became a weapon of war. And humanitarian aid became a battlefield, where access is denied and resources are politicized.
Out of the 1,5 million dollars of humanitarian aid Brazil has sent to alleviate the suffering of the Gazans since the beginning of the war, almost half a million was withheld without any reasonable explanation by the government of Israel. The blocked donations included water purifiers capable of producing nearly 1 million liters of potable water per day.
But Palestinians in Gaza have not only been deprived of water. They have seen their homes, dreams, and futures destroyed.
The numbers tell the story of devastation: 44,000 killed; 104,000 injured; 52,564 buildings reduced to rubble; and 68% of the permanent crop fields withered. Among the dead are 333 humanitarian workers who gave their lives to saving Gazans, and 137 media personnel who were bearing witness to this unimaginable ordeal.
This reality should jolt our conscience and not numb us to the ongoing breaches of international obligations by Israeli authorities.
This is why Brazil supports the convening of the Conference of High Contracting Parties on the observance of the Fourth Geneva Convention in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, at the highest level and at the earliest date.
We commend the International Committee of the Red Cross for its initiative to strengthen political commitment to International Humanitarian Law and look forward to intergovernmental consultations next year, aiming for concrete outcomes at the 2026 High-Level Meeting to Uphold Humanity in War.
Finally, we urgently call on all international partners to strengthen their support for UNRWA against attempts to undermine vital services it provides to millions of Palestinians.
Brazil is honored to serve as Vice-Chair of UNRWA’s Advisory Commission and looks forward to taking up its Chairmanship next year.
Mr. President,
The recent announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon could have been a good omen for the stability of the region if its terms were respected. Yet the joyous images of celebration coming out of Lebanon were rapidly overshadowed by more scenes of destruction.
Peace requires firm resolve. We therefore must demand that the parties uphold their commitment to end violence and ensure that a ceasefire is also established for Gaza. We owe it to future generations, who will hold us accountable for the bloodshed that continues to ravage their past, devastate their present, and compromise their future. The only way out of this dreadful situation is through a two-state solution, with an independent and viable State of Palestine living side by side with Israel in peace and security including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Time has come to end violence and begin the difficult but needed journey of healing and reconstruction.
Thank you.