The UN Special Rapporteur Welcomes Ceasefire, End Blockade of Gaza Strip

Gaza, MINA – Michael Link, the UN Special Rapporteur who oversees the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said Gaza does not need a temporary solution, but instead requires an end to the blockade and given access to economic development and self-determination.

“The true peace and reconstruction of Gaza will only be achieved with full respect for the basic rights of the two million Palestinians living there,” Link said in a statement as quoted by Quds Press on Thursday.

He said he welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Palestinian factions in Gaza and the occupation authorities.

“A declared ceasefire should be the first step towards the full realization of human rights in Gaza, and not a temporary step just awaiting the next conflict,” Link said.

Poverty in Gaza has taken root because the blockade was still ongoing since 14 years ago.

“We are no longer on the brink of a humanitarian crisis, we are in the middle of a crisis. This is a man-made disaster, but it can quickly fix if there is political will, ”said Link.

“Giving the people of Gaza hope for the future is the real path to prosperity and freedom,” he continued.

The Special Rapporteur explained that two million people in Gaza are in a poor health system, inaccessible water, insufficient energy supply, a collapsing economy, extreme poverty and unemployment rates, among the highest in the world due to the blockade.

In fact, he said, Gaza would become an uninhabitable place, there is no similar situation in the world because a large number of people suffer from the permanent blockade.

Special Rapporteur and independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is the intergovernmental body responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights in the world.

Special Rapporteur and experts are tasked with studying the human rights situation and submitting reports to the Human Rights Council. The task is an honor because these experts are not considered UN employees nor are they paid for their work. (T / RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)