Who is Sigrid Kaag, veteran diplomat and UN's new aid coordinator for Gaza?

Sigrid Kaag, a Dutch politician and veteran diplomat for the United Nations, will take up the position of senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza starting on Jan. 8 — a position created under the recently approved UN Security Council Resolution 2720.

Kaag, 62, is a veteran UN diplomat and the Netherlands’ outgoing finance minister. 

“In this role she will facilitate, coordinate, monitor and verify humanitarian relief consignments for Gaza,” the UN said. She will also establish a “mechanism” to accelerate aid into Gaza through countries not involved with the conflict.

The job is enrishrined in the UN Security Council resolution passed last week to “allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip.”