Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, on Thursday, 19 June urged the UN Security Council to demand the immediate removal of all humanitarian restraints on Gaza, warning that critical aid continues to be stalled outside the territory despite recent, limited improvements.

Persistent Constraints on Aid Access

Fletcher told the Security Council that humanitarians on the ground continue to face “continued persistent and deliberate constraints.” He noted that humanitarian access remains dependent on “one, at most two, operational crossings,” even as significantly greater capacity could be made available.

“Cumbersome approvals and customs procedures, combined with restrictions on so-called ‘dual-use’ items, limit the entry of critical humanitarian supplies,” Fletcher said. Shortages of fuel, spare parts, armoured vehicles, and other protective equipment for aid workers are further undermining operations on the ground.

Specific Crossings and Sites Demanded

Fletcher called for the immediate, full-capacity operation of the Erez/Beit Hanoun, Karni, and Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossings to establish what he described as a “high-volume, multi-route pipeline.” He also sought access to critical sites inside Gaza, including landfills near the perimeter fence.

Restrictions imposed on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are compounding the crisis, he added, leaving vital support stalled and humanitarian work severely undermined.

What the UN Is Asking For

In direct remarks to Security Council members, Fletcher laid out a series of concrete demands. He called for “the immediate removal of Israeli restrictions on essential survival items, specifically medical equipment, including diagnostic tools, but also critical spare parts for water and sanitation, consistent supplies of fuel and engine oil, communication and protective equipment for aid workers.”

He also asked for the restoration of humanitarian customs waivers and the issuance of long-term, predictable visas — “not month by month” — for international, UN, and NGO staff, alongside streamlined NGO registration processes. Additionally, Fletcher called for the resumption of government-to-government convoys from Jordan and scaled-up medical evacuations to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The Broader Context

Fletcher stressed that humanitarian action is “not a menu of options, but rather a single ecosystem that is severely undermined when its components are impeded.” He explicitly rejected the framing of these demands as sequential steps or bargaining chips.

Notably, Fletcher also referenced the agreement between the United States and Iran to end hostilities, and hopes for a ceasefire in Lebanon, arguing these developments should return the Security Council’s sustained attention to conditions in Gaza.

“We cannot allow the summit of our ambition and our will to be a world where children have sufficient calories to survive and are spared constant bombing, yet remain hungry, bitten by rats, homeless and out of school,” Fletcher said.

What Happens Next

The Security Council has yet to formally respond to Fletcher’s address. With ceasefire negotiations in the wider region in flux, observers will be watching whether the Council translates his appeal into binding resolutions or concrete pressure on the parties controlling access to Gaza.