Minister Retno Marsudi on WHO Session: Israel Turns Gaza into Hellish Situation
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11 December 2023 19:38 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi attended the special session of the WHO Executive Board in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday, Dec. 10. Although Indonesia has no longer been a member of the Executive Board since 2021, Indonesia attended the meeting along with non-WHO members.
Indonesia's presence, she said, was aimed at highlighting the importance of improving health facilities and protecting health facilities and personnel in Gaza. “This includes, of course, the health facilities of the Indonesian Hospital,” Retno said, referring to the hospital donated by Indonesian citizens in Gaza which was forced to cease operating on November 16 due to relentless Israeli bombardment.
The Israeli bombardment and siege of Gaza have resulted in 71 percent of health facilities not functioning, limited medical equipment, medicines, food, clean water, fuel, and electricity, hundreds of medical workers killed, and the spread of infectious diseases.
Retno Marsudi said that according to WHO data, there have been nearly 130,000 cases of acute respiratory infections, more than 94,000 cases of diarrhea, and more than 2,700 cases of chickenpox.
“At the special session of the WHO Executive Board, I stated, among other things, that Gaza is currently under siege. Israel has turned Gaza into a hellish situation,” Retno said.
At the session, the WHO adopted a resolution to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Among other points, the resolution called for the immediate, sustained, and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief, including access for medical personnel and for all parties to comply with their obligations under international law.
“This is the first time since October 7 that a resolution on this conflict has been adopted by consensus within the UN system,” the WHO said in a release on Sunday, Dec. 11.
Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia became a co-sponsor of this resolution. Indonesia also urged Israel to respect the Gazans' right to health and access to health facilities as the government would dispatch a naval hospital ship to Gaza.
NABIILA AZZAHRA A.
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