Yvette Cooper felt a deep sense of frustration as she gazed out at the Jordanian hills overlooking Palestine. Despite the close proximity of warehouses filled with essential aid, located less than 40 miles from the West Bank border and the route to Gaza, Israeli restrictions have prevented the distribution of thousands of tons of critical supplies to help the people in Gaza.
The King Hussein/Allenby Bridge, a crucial border crossing into the West Bank from Jordan’s capital, Amman, has been closed to aid shipments since September following the deaths of two Israeli soldiers near the area. Cooper, accompanied by the Foreign Secretary on a four-day tour across the Middle East, emphasized the importance of the peace process at a pivotal moment following two years of intense conflict.
During the trip, which included visits to Bahrain for a security summit and meetings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, discussions revolved around the urgent need to address the dire situation in Gaza despite the opulence of the Gulf region. Cooper’s observations at a World Food Programme warehouse near Amman, where 4,000 metric tonnes of food supplies had been stored for months, highlighted the stark contrast with the food crisis in Gaza.
Cooper reiterated the necessity of reopening the Jordanian aid route into Gaza to swiftly deliver critical aid, including food, shelter kits, medical supplies, and winter clothing. She also stressed the urgency of setting up a maternity field hospital in Gaza to address the healthcare crisis facing women in the region.
Reflecting on her experiences, Cooper emphasized the immediate actions that could be taken to alleviate the suffering in Gaza, such as lifting restrictions on aid distribution, establishing the maternity field hospital, and facilitating the delivery of school supplies. She urged Israel to honor the agreements made in the recent peace plan to open border crossings and allow essential aid to reach those in need promptly.
Cooper’s call for urgent action underscores the pressing need to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and rebuild the healthcare system to provide vital support to the vulnerable population.