Sigrid Kaag's appointment comes as the people of Gaza face a dire humanitarian emergency, with aid slowed to a trickle by Israel's continued bombardment of the densely populated coastal strip.

She will start work on January 8, the UN said in a statement.

Last week's UN Security Council resolution called for the "safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale", but did not call for an immediate end to fighting.

The bloodiest ever Gaza war erupted on October 7, as Israel launched an extensive aerial bombardment and a siege followed by a ground invasion. The campaign has killed more than 20,915 people, 70% of them women and children, with another 54,918 people wounded, according to the Palestinian health ministry latest figuers

"United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today announced the appointment of Ms Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza," the UN said in a statement.

The Security Council adopted the resolution on Gaza on Friday after days of delays and diplomatic wrangling.

A draft version of the resolution had said that the aid mechanism to accelerate the delivery of relief would be "exclusively" under UN control.

But the final version, passed after Washington abstained, now states it would be managed in consultation with "all relevant parties" -- meaning Israel would retain operational oversight of aid deliveries.

Kaag has been the Netherlands' deputy prime minister and finance minister since January 2022. She has previously held a number of senior UN jobs including its special coordinator for Lebanon and the Joint Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations Mission in Syria.

* This story was edited by Ahram Online.