Sat Jul 12 10:25:53 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing and rewriting the provided information:
**Azerbaijani Official Elected Secretary-General of International Civil Defence Organization, Voices Alarm Over Gaza Humanitarian Crisis**
**Baku, Azerbaijan – July 12, 2025** – Colonel Arguj Kalantarli of Azerbaijan was unanimously elected as the new Secretary-General of the International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO) at the organization’s 3rd Extraordinary Session held in Baku. Kalantarli, who heads the international relations department of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, succeeds the outgoing Secretary-General following a competitive race that included candidates from Serbia, Burkina Faso, and Tunisia.
In his inaugural address, Kalantarli immediately drew attention to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, referring to it as a “humanitarian catastrophe on an unimaginable scale.” He emphasized that Palestine is a member state of the ICDO and expressed deep concern over the lack of basic necessities.
“Food, water, medicine, shelter, these are no longer just basic rights,” Kalantarli stated. “Our Palestinian brothers and sisters are slipping through our fingers.” His remarks, later shared on social media, underscored the urgency of addressing the crisis.
The ICDO, an intergovernmental organization, focuses on developing national systems to protect populations, property, and the environment from both natural and man-made disasters, including conflicts. Kalantarli’s election and his immediate focus on the situation in Gaza suggest a potential shift towards prioritizing humanitarian assistance within the ICDO’s agenda. It remains to be seen how the organization will respond to this critical situation under his leadership.
First Piper 