UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the blockade of the Gaza Strip to be lifted Wednesday as he visited the Palestinian enclave enduring “one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises” he had seen.

“I am deeply moved to be in Gaza today, unfortunately to witness one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises that I’ve seen in many years working as a humanitarian in the United Nations,” Guterres said.

He later said it was “important to open the closures,” in a reference to Israel’s decade-long blockade of Gaza and to the border with Egypt that has remained largely closed in recent years.

Guterres made the comments at a school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in the northern Gaza Strip.

UN officials say the enclave is fast becoming unlivable, with sparse electricity and a lack of clean water.

Guterres’s comments came as he wrapped up a three-day visit to the occupied and Palestinian territories.

He held talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and Ramallah on Monday and Tuesday and was due to give a speech in Tel Aviv later Wednesday before departing.

Source: AFP