Griffiths has labored because the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs for 3 years.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths, who has performed a key position in urgent for help to the Gaza Strip and led earlier efforts for Yemen, has introduced he’ll step down as a consequence of ailing well being.
Griffiths, who has headed the UN Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and served because the emergency aid coordinator for 3 years, mentioned he has knowledgeable Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres of his intention to step down in June.
“To everybody at UNOCHA, it’s been the privilege of my life. I’m deeply in your debt. To all companions and supporters, thanks for championing the reason for individuals in crises,” he mentioned on Monday in a publish on the social media platform X.
In current months, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs has repeatedly pressed for Israel to permit humanitarian help into Gaza, which has been devastated by a greater than five-month Israeli navy assault and extreme restrictions on help provides.
After 3 years on the job, I’ve knowledgeable @antonioguterres of my intention to step down in June.
To everybody at @UNOCHA, it has been the privilege of my life. I’m deeply in your debt.
To all companions and supporters, thanks for championing the reason for individuals in crises.
— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) March 25, 2024
A number of NGOs and rights organisations have accused Israel of intentionally blocking help to Gaza as warnings of famine within the besieged strip rise. Israel has denied the accusations.
Final month, Griffiths warned Israel to not ignore calls towards a deliberate assault on the southern Gaza metropolis of Rafah, the place 1.5 million Palestinians have taken shelter, warning that an Israeli operation “might result in a slaughter”.
“The October 7 assaults on Israel are horrific – I’ve condemned them repeatedly and can proceed to take action. However they can’t justify what is occurring to each single youngster, girl and man in Gaza,” Griffiths wrote in an op-ed for Al Jazeera in February.
He has additionally raised the alarm on different ongoing humanitarian crises all over the world.
This month, he warned that almost 5 million individuals in Sudan might endure catastrophic starvation within the coming months.
He has additionally confronted criticism for his work.
After a visit to conflict-torn Myanmar final August, civil society teams mentioned his go to did not make substantial progress on humanitarian help and lent legitimacy to navy coup leaders who had “weaponized help”.
In an announcement after his journey, Griffiths famous successive crises had left a 3rd of Myanmar’s inhabitants in want of help, and he appealed to the navy to enhance entry to humanitarian aid.
“We’d like higher entry so we may also help them every day, every single day, each week, safely and securely,” he mentioned.
Griffiths beforehand served because the UN particular envoy for Yemen and has been an adviser on Syria.
He has additionally labored for different worldwide humanitarian organisations, together with UNICEF, Save the Youngsters and ActionAid.