United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

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Context

The Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) organized a Briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Findings of OCHA

Hostilities in Gaza and Israel are ongoing, and violence in the West Bank has surged.
Gaza’s telecommunication and Internet services were cut leaving civilians in grave danger amid heavy Israeli bombardments from air and land.
Trucks carrying water, food, and medicines entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
The entry of fuel, which is desperately needed to operate life-saving equipment, remains banned by the Israeli authorities.
Access restrictions, typically imposed by the Israeli authorities, have also intensified throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. These are particularly severe in areas near Israeli settlements and in the so-called “Seam Zone”.

SEAM ZONE

Seam Zone is a term used to refer to a land area in the Israeli-occupied West Bank located east of the Green Line and west of Israel's separation barrier, populated largely by Israelis in settlements. It is a Palestinian area isolated by Israel’s 712-kilometre-long barrier in the West Bank.

The reason behind creating the Seam Zone is to create a "buffer zone" by distancing the Barrier from the homes of Israelis living nearby, whether they be in communities in Israel or in the settlements.

RAFAH CROSSING

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/sinai-peninsula

The Rafah crossing is the main entrance and exit point to the Gaza Strip from Egypt.
It has become a focal point of efforts to deliver aid to Palestinians since Israel imposed a "total siege" on the enclave following a deadly incursion by Hamas militants.
The crossing is at the south of the Gaza Strip, a narrow sliver of land wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. It is controlled by Egypt.

Why is access across Rafah restricted by Egypt?

Egypt is wary of insecurity near the border with Gaza in northeastern Sinai, where it faced an Islamist insurgency that peaked after 2013 and has now largely been suppressed.
Since Hamas took control in Gaza in 2007, Egypt has helped enforce a blockade of the enclave and heavily restricted the flow of people and goods.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

About

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly.

Aim

To strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disasters.

Successor organization

It is the successor to the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (UNDRO).

OCHA's Mandate

Coordinating humanitarian response, policy development, and humanitarian advocacy.
Its activities include organizing and monitoring humanitarian funding, advocacy, policy-making, and information exchange to facilitate rapid-response teams for emergency relief.

Head

OCHA is led by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC), appointed for a five-year term.

Observer

It is a sitting observer in the United Nations Development Group.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q. Consider the following statements with reference to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

1.It is the successor to the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (UNDRO).

2.It is a sitting observer in the United Nations Environment Program.

3.OCHA's Mandate is coordinating humanitarian response, policy development, and humanitarian advocacy.

How many of the above statements are incorrect?

A) Only 1

B) Only 2

C) All 3

D) None

Answer: A) Only 1

It is a sitting observer in the United Nations Development Group.

Q. Recently, Seam Zone was in the news. What is it?

1. Israeli-occupied West Bank located east of the Green Line

2. Border between North and South Korea.

3. Colorado’s northern border with Nebraska

4. Demilitarized zone patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus

Choose the correct code.

Answer

1. A

Q. Consider the following statements with reference to Rafah Crossing.

1. It is the main entrance and exit point to the Gaza Strip from Israel.

2. It is controlled by Egypt.

How many of the above statements are incorrect?

A) 1 only

B) 2 only

C) Both

D) None

Answer: B) 2 only