In an unprecedented display of unity, 14 out of 15 members of the UN Security Council—excluding the United States—issued a joint statement on August 27, 2025, declaring that the ongoing famine in Gaza constitutes “a man-made crisis” and demanding Israel to lift all humanitarian restrictions “forthwith and without conditions,” reports 24brussels.
Council Demands Unconditional Ceasefire and Aid Access
- The 14 members urged an immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire across the Gaza Strip.
- They called for the release of all hostages held by Hamas and affiliated groups.
- The statement demanded that Israel remove every obstacle—bureaucratic, logistical, and physical—to the entry of life-saving food, medicine, water, and fuel into Gaza.
Earlier that day, the World Health Organization warned that the situation in Gaza will deteriorate further unless “all Israeli impediments to aid delivery at scale are removed and access is allowed across the Strip.” The WHO reported that over 500,000 people are currently facing famine conditions, with death tolls and malnutrition rates expected to rise sharply without unimpeded relief.
The Security Council noted that utilizing starvation as a method of warfare directly violates international humanitarian law. They emphasized that the systematic destruction of food, water, health, and sanitation systems represents a severe breach of the Geneva Conventions and amounts to collective punishment.
UN humanitarian agencies have consistently raised alarms over the deteriorating situation. The UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator recently warned the Security Council that “failure to act will have irreversible consequences,” adding that famine has now been formally declared by the IPC Famine Review Committee and will spread to Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah by late September.
While the United States acknowledged the existence of “real starvation” in Gaza, it voted against the joint Council statement, attributing delays in aid flows partly to Hamas’s actions. However, humanitarian experts assert that only a complete removal of restrictions can prevent mass deaths.
Council diplomats have indicated that a subsequent resolution demanding full humanitarian access could be introduced in New York within days. In the meantime, UN agencies are preparing to scale up their distribution efforts, contingent on Israeli assurances of unimpeded access.
