LONDON: Leading UN agencies are issuing increasingly dramatic warnings about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israeli forces continue their search for a captured soldier, Gilad Shalit. There have also been numerous expressions of international public dismay. But effective inter-governmental action to end the crisis is so far lacking, due largely to deadlock within the UN Security Council.

“An already alarming situation, with poverty rates at nearly 80% and unemployment at nearly 40%, is likely to deteriorate rapidly unless immediate, urgent action is taken,” the UN agencies said in a joint statement. The UN Relief and Works Agency said Gaza was “on the brink of a public health disaster” due to electricity and water shortages caused by Israeli military action.

The World Food Programme said 70% of Palestinians in Gaza were to some degree dependent on food aid, a situation that has in any case been steadily worsening following the US and EU’s decision to ostracise the Hamas-led government. Unicef said Palestinian children living in “an environment of extraordinary violence, insecurity and fear” were being harmed psychologically.

Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, has also repeatedly called for a halt to a confrontation that began in earnest after a Palestinian incursion into Israel on June 25 killed two soldiers. He urged militants to release Cpl Shalit and stop firing rockets at Israeli civilians, called on Israeli forces to show restraint, and asked their government “to act urgently to facilitate the import of essential medical supplies, foodstuffs and fuel”.

Yet despite all these appeals the UN’s top decision-making body, the Security Council, dominated by its permanent members, the US, Britain, France, Russia and China, has failed to show a lead.

The council is the only UN body that, in theory at least, can impose its will rather than merely wring its hands. But a resolution on the Gaza crisis, proposed by Qatar and the Arab group of countries, has stalled over arguments about wording. France, which currently holds the council presidency, advised the Qataris last week that a more “balanced” text was required.

French diplomats said yesterday that a revised draft was under discussion. It condemns actions undertaken by both sides and urges the release of Cpl Shalit.

The council’s seeming impotence was laid bare during a debate on Gaza on June 30 in which Angela Kane, the UN’s political affairs chief, warned that a “grave crisis” might get worse. Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s official UN observer, claimed the Israeli incursions were “premeditated and planned” before the June 25 incident. Daniel Carmon, Israel’s representative, flatly rejected that but added that Gaza was a terror base and the Hamas-led government a terrorist regime. According to the official account, “other participants underscored the importance of a formal response by the security council”.

That appeared to be a vain hope. For the decisive contribution came from John Bolton, US ambassador to the UN. He said: “We should not undermine the limited credibility of the council by engaging in debate and rhetoric merely for their own sake.” He then went on to do exactly that. Mr Bolton placed responsibility for the crisis squarely on Hamas. But external forces were to blame, too, he said, pointing the finger at Syria and Iran.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service