Doctors Without Borders calls on Malaysia to use its diplomatic influence to push for humanitarian access, citing 45 aid trucks blocked since January.
KUALA LUMPUR: The genocide in Gaza may mark a turning point for global humanitarian action, as Doctors Without Borders warns that erosion of international humanitarian law and paralysis at the United Nations (UN) could reshape how aid is delivered in future conflicts.
Its Australia head of programmes Simon Eccleshall yesterday described Gaza as unprecedented in scale and consequence for humanitarian actors.
“Gaza has been a game changer for humanitarian actors. It is the first livestreamed genocide that we have ever had.
“We have had unprecedented evidence and access for media throughout this crisis and yet that has not been enough to change world leaders’ sentiments to put a stop to this.”
He said the number of humanitarian and medical workers killed and the repeated targeting of hospitals and health facilities represented a departure from previous conflicts.
“When this has happened in the past, there has been universal outrage. The UN passed new resolutions to prevent attacks on hospitals.
“In Gaza, we saw this as a daily occurrence. States did not act. Resolutions were vetoed.
“There was no independent investigation. That undermines the foundations of how we work.”
The failure of the UN to intervene decisively, particularly amid the use of veto powers by permanent members, exposed structural weaknesses in the global system designed to protect civilians, he said.
“Twenty years ago, when civilian harm became disproportionate, the UN would step in. That did not happen in Gaza.
“We are seeing an erosion of international humanitarian law and a weakening of the UN. The question now is whether this is temporary or whether the world order as we knew it has changed.”
Eccleshall said the shrinking of principled humanitarian space could lead to the emergence of alternative models not grounded in neutrality or independence.
“The worry at the moment is that humanitarianism as we knew it is dead. There is a new humanitarianism coming up that is not principles-based but interests-based.
“We saw new models of food distribution that were not how Doctors Without Borders or traditional NGOs operate. We are not worried about being replaced by another organisation.
“We are worried that what replaces us is not humanitarian, that it is driven by money, land, politics or race.
“If principled humanitarian actors are not protected, you will not see us on the ground. You will not see journalists there either to witness or report. That should concern everyone.”
Doctors Without Borders maintained that restoring respect for international humanitarian law and reinforcing multilateral mechanisms are essential to preserving humanitarian space in future conflicts.
