Biden replaces coordinator for Gaza aid with head of US Institute of Peace

The U.S. Institute of Peace ( USIP ) head will take over as the country’s coordinator for humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to the Biden administration.

One week after Hamas ‘ shocking attack against Israel on October 7 and which sparked the ongoing conflict against the organization in the Gaza Strip, Lise Grande, the CEO, president, and former UN envoy, may take over the place of particular minister for Middle East charitable problems.

Grande takes over the place from David Satterfield, a former adviser and former Middle East minister who has worked to handle the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where there’s little protection for civilians and aid workers who have been killed, wounded, displaced, and face starvation, with little to no protected areas for refuge or access to lifesaving materials. &nbsp,

” Gaza needs to be expanded and sustained in order to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated in a statement announcing Grande’s appointment that Lisa’s unique experience overseeing similar endeavors in complex and dangerous circumstances will allow her to continue this round the clock effort. &nbsp,

The United States will continue to use all means of communication to ensure that humanitarian workers operating in the area are safeguarded and that aid gets to the most afflicted populations that need it. ” As Special Envoy, Lise will work closely with USAID, other colleagues across our government, regional partners and the Government of Israel to ensure this happens”.

Grande is a veteran diplomat of the U. N. leading, managing and coordinating large- scale operations, Blinken said, including in Iraq during the fight against the Islamic State, working to stabilize more than 20 cities that had been liberated from ISIS control.

She is well-versed in both working in Africa and the Middle East, including as the head of UN humanitarian and development operations in Yemen, where she oversaw one of the world’s largest operations, the secretary continued.

In light of intense Israeli bombardment that targets Hamas ‘ military positions, which are largely embedded among civilian sites, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is one of the most complex situations for governments, the United Nations, and aid workers trying to reach and address vulnerable civilians.

In addition to the deaths of roughly 200 aid workers throughout Israel’s war against Hamas and tens of thousands of civilian casualties, an Israeli strike earlier this month that killed seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen aid organization only highlights one of the difficult circumstances that make efforts to aid Gaza’s most vulnerable population of more than one million people difficult. &nbsp,

Satterfield, who spoke to reporters at the State Department on Tuesday, claimed the humanitarian situation has improved since President Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 4. &nbsp,

” Gaza has a very high risk of famine, especially in the north. We’ve made it very clear that Israel must support efforts to stop the Gaza famine, Satterfield said.

The President made this point clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu during his April 4th call, and he also made it clear that our decision regarding Gaza will be affected by our assessment of Israel’s actions, including increasing the number of aid reaching those in Gaza, he added.

In exchange for a six-week cease-fire agreement, which is said to include a massive scale up of humanitarian assistance of food, shelter, and medical treatment, the Biden administration is working to get Hamas to agree to a deal. An estimated 133 hostages were kidnapped from Israel on October 7, according to the Biden administration. &nbsp,

However, the administration is blaming Hamas for rejecting the agreement, and particularly Yahya Sinwar, the organization’s leader in Gaza, for being a blockade. The administration has claimed that progress was being made in Egypt and Qatar, but Sinwar had rejected these claims. &nbsp,

Biden pressed the group to accept a U.S. led deal for the hostage release and cease-fire in a joint statement released on Thursday with leaders of 17 nations whose citizens are being held hostage, were held hostage, or were killed in Hamas’s attack against Israel.