The head of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that medical teams in the Gaza Strip have come up with a new acronym: WCNSF – wounded child, no surviving family.
“Children who do survive this war will not only bear the visible wounds of traumatic injuries but the invisible ones too,” MSF International Secretary General Christopher Lockyear told the 15-member council.
“There is a repeated displacement, constant fear, and witnessing family members dismembered before their eyes,” he said. “These psychological injuries have led children as young as five to tell us that they would prefer to die.”
Lockyear slammed the United States, saying he was appalled it had repeatedly used its veto power to block the council from demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in Gaza.
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“The people of Gaza need a ceasefire, not when practicable, but now. They need a sustained ceasefire, not a temporary period of calm,” Lockyear said. “Anything short of this is gross negligence.”
The U.S. has vetoed three U.N. Security Council resolutions since the start of the current fighting on Oct. 7, most recently blocking on Tuesday a demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire as it instead pushes the council to call for a temporary ceasefire linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas.
China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun told the council he felt “appalled” by Lockyear’s briefing.
“We hope the tragic picture that he painted of Gaza for us can touch the conscience of a certain member of this council,” Zhang said.
‘WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RISK?’
The United States expressed concern that the vetoed draft resolution on Tuesday could jeopardize ongoing talks between the U.S., Egypt, Israel, and Qatar aiming to broker a six-week pause in the war and the release of hostages. Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood did not address Lockyear’s briefing directly but mentioned that the U.S. is urging Israel to permit more aid into Gaza and advising against a ground offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza without a viable plan to protect civilians.
Wood emphasized the desire for a durable end to the conflict, highlighting the frustration with the pace of hostage talks and underscoring the critical role of council support in pressuring Hamas to accept the agreement on the table. Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward described Lockyear’s briefing as “harrowing,” and while Britain abstained in Tuesday’s vote, the remaining 13 council members voted in favor of the Algerian-drafted resolution.
Slovenia’s U.N. Ambassador to the Security Council, Samuel Zbogar, questioned the council’s response to Lockyear’s emotional briefing, asking what kind of council they had become if they remained unaffected. The war originated when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, leading to significant casualties and hostage situations. Lockyear urged the council to consider the risks that medical staff are taking to help patients amid the ongoing conflict.
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