Guyana, Slovenia lead joint call for permanent ceasefire in Gaza

…as the UN confirms famine among children

Guyana and Slovenia, serving as informal co-focal points on conflict and hunger at the United Nations (UN) Security Council, have issued a powerful joint appeal for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, following the confirmation of famine conditions and alarming rates of child malnutrition in the enclave.
The statement, delivered Tuesday by Ambassador Trishala Persaud of Guyana and Ambassador Ondina Drobic of Slovenia on behalf of 14 Security Council members, underscored the urgency of addressing what they described as a “manmade crisis”.
The International Panel on the Classification of Food Security (IPC), in a report published last Friday, confirmed famine in the Gaza Governorate – the first official confirmation of famine in the Middle East. The data also projected that famine conditions could spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.
According to the findings, nearly 1.5 million people across Gaza are facing emergency and crisis levels of food insecurity, of which at least 132,000 children are expected to suffer acute malnutrition between now and June 2026.
“This is the first time famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East region. Every day, more persons are dying as a result of malnutrition, many of them children… At least 132,000 children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition between now and June 2026. Older persons and persons with chronic diseases also continue to be disproportionately affected by the conflict and are among the vulnerable groups reportedly succumbing to malnutrition-related deaths. All of this while hundreds of trucks laden with life-saving aid sit a short distance away.”

“We stand in front of you, especially disturbed by the levels of acute malnutrition among children in Gaza. We note that at least 41,000 children are at heightened risk of death from malnutrition between now and June 2026. Famine in Gaza must be stopped immediately. International Humanitarian Law must be respected. Security Council resolution 2417 of 2018 must be implemented,” Guyana’s Ambassador Trishala Persaud said.
Against this background, Ambassador Ondina Drobic of Slovenia outlined three immediate demands, including a permanent ceasefire and humanitarian action, lifting restrictions on aid delivery, and reversal of military expansion aimed at seizing Gaza City.
“One: We call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire; we call for the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups; we call for a substantive surge of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza.”
“Two: Israel must immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on aid delivery. This includes opening all land routes and allowing the UN and humanitarian partners to operate safely and at scale. Humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence must be central to humanitarian action.”
“Three: We call on Israel to immediately reverse its decision to further expand its military operation in Gaza with the aim of taking over Gaza City. This decision, which we reject, will inevitably worsen the already horrific humanitarian situation and endanger the lives of all civilians, including the hostages,” Ambassador Ondina Drobic said.

Time is of the essence
Ambassador Persaud and Ambassador Drobic, backed by Algeria, China, Denmark, France, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and the United Kingdom, stressed the need for swift action.
“Time is of the essence. The humanitarian emergency must be addressed without delay, and Israel must reverse course. We have seen what is possible to achieve during a ceasefire,” they urged.
Hundreds of aid trucks remain stalled just outside Gaza, unable to enter despite the worsening humanitarian conditions.
The statement concluded with a call to the international community to uphold Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018), which condemns the use of starvation as a method of warfare and emphasises accountability for violations of international law.