Some countries,like the UK, have stopped giving money to UNRWA, a group that helps Palestinian refugees.
After the company said some of its workers were fired because they were linked to the Hamas attacks on 7 October.
The UK government expressed shock and disapproval of Israel’s claims.
The US, Australia, Italy, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany have stopped giving extra money to the UN agency.
In 1949, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, was created. It is the largest UN agency working in Gaza.
It helps Palestinians by giving them health care, education, and other help in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. It hires about 13,000 people in Gaza.
Ever since Israel started fighting back after the attacks on 7 October, UNRWA has been providing shelter for many people who had to leave their homes in Gaza.
It says it is looking into the information from Israel.
Israel has said that the United Nations, including UNRWA, is unfair and has shown hatred towards Jewish people.
In an interview with the media, UNRWA’s former main spokesperson, Christopher Gunness, said that stopping aid to UNRWA was not fair and will only make things worse for people in Gaza.
Mr Gunness thinks UNRWA showed it has a strict policy by firing the workers before finishing their own investigation.
One million people who were forced to leave their homes are now staying near UNRWA buildings for safety. Mr Gunness said that the people will suffer because of this decision. The cutting of UNRWA services will also make the region less stable when Western governments are trying to prevent a big conflict in the area.
On Friday, a person who helps the leader of Israel said on the BBC that the Hamas attacks on 7 October involved “people who are getting paid by [UNRWA]”.
Mark Regev claimed that there was evidence indicating that teachers at UNRWA schools had openly celebrated the attacks on October 7th.
He also talked about an Israeli captive who, after being freed, said she had been “kept in the home of a person who worked for UNRWA”.
“They have a group that Hamas controls, and I think it’s about time for the UN to look into the connection between UNRWA and Hamas,” he said.
The accusations made big donors react.
“The UK government is shocked by claims that UNRWA workers took part in the attack on Israel on 7 October. The government strongly disapproves of this terrible act of terrorism. “
“The UK has stopped giving money to UNWRA for now while we look into some worrying claims,” it said.
Earlier, the US government said it will stop giving more money to the UN agency because they are worried about UN workers being involved in the attacks.
The EU said it will consider what to do next after a thorough investigation.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “shocked by this news”.
Philippe Lazzarini, who is in charge of UNRWA, said that they are doing a complete investigation to find out the truth as soon as possible.
“To make sure the agency can keep helping people in need, I have decided to fire these staff members right away,” Mr Lazzarini said.
He said that any employee involved in “acts of terror” will be held responsible.
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz,wants to shutdown UNRWA in Gaza after the war.
However, Hussein Al-Sheikh, the Palestinian Authority’s minister for civilian affairs, said that when some countries stop supporting the important UN agency, it can cause big political and humanitarian problems.
Mr al-Sheikh asked Western donors to change their decision right away. He also said that we need the most help for this international organization.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, Micheál Martin, said that Ireland will not stop giving money to the agency. He said the agency helps2. 3 million people and many staff members have been killed while doing their work.
Hamas asked the UN and other organizations not to give in to Israel’s threats and blackmail. They said this in a message on Telegram.
Last year, Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities and killed about 1,300 people, mostly innocent civilians.
Another 250 people were captured and held against their will. Israel attacked Hamas in Gaza after certain events. This has led to the death of over 26,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry run by Hamas.
The US, Germany and the EU give a lot of money to UNRWA.
The agency is having a hard time delivering help to many of the 1. 7 million people who have been forced to leave their homes because of 12 weeks of fighting.
Several places in Gaza where people were seeking protection were bombed by Israel’s air force.
On Wednesday, a UN shelter in Khan Younis was hit, and 12 people died.
Tag: UN
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UK stops funding UN organisation following over Hamas attack
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UN offers assistance after employees accused of attacking Israel
The leader of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has called on countries that have ceased funding to reconsider their “unexpected” actions.
More than two million people in the Gaza Strip rely on it to survive, according to Philippe Lazzarini.
Eight countries, including the UK, took action because Israel said some UNRWA staff were involved in the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October.
The agency is looking into it and has already fired those workers.
Israel has been saying for a long time that some parts of the UN, like UNRWA, are not fair and may even be against Jewish people.
Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US have stopped giving money to UNRWA.
Established in 1949, UNRWA is the largest United Nations agency working in Gaza. It gives medical care, schooling, and other help to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. It gives jobs to about 13,000 people in Gaza.
Since Israel started fighting back against Hamas, UNRWA has been using its buildings in Gaza to protect many people who had to leave their homes.
On Saturday, Mr. Lazzarini said it was surprising that funds were stopped because of allegations against a few staff members. UNRWA took quick action by firing them and asking for an independent investigation.
“It would be very wrong to punish an agency and a whole community because of allegations of crimes by some people, especially during a war, when people are being forced to leave their homes, and there are political problems in the area. ”
“UNRWA gives a list of all its workers to the countries they work in every year, even Israel. ” The agency did not get any complaints about particular staff members.
Mr Lazzarini said that a UN office is going to look into the terrible accusations and find out what really happened.
An adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the media on Friday that the Hamas attacks on 7 October involved people who are getting paid by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Mark Regev said they had evidence that teachers at UNRWA schools had openly rejoiced about the attacks. Hamas fighters killed about 1,300 people, mostly innocent civilians, and took 250 more as hostages.
Mr Regev also mentioned an Israeli hostage who said she was kept in the home of someone who worked for UNRWA after she was released.
“They have a group that is controlled by Hamas and I think it’s about time for the UN to look into the connections between UNRWA and Hamas,” he said.
The claims made the big donors react.
The UK government is very upset that UNRWA staff may have been part of the attack on Israel on 7 October. They have condemned this terrorist act many times.
“The UK is stopping giving money to UNRWA for now while we look into these worrying claims,” they said.
Before, the US government said it would stop giving more money to the UN agency because it was really worried about the accusations.
The EU will decide what to do next after looking at the results of the investigation.
The US, Germany, and EU give a lot of money to UNRWA.
The UN leader, António Guterres, said he was very shocked by this news.
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, wants to shut down UNRWA’s operations in Gaza after the war.
However, the Palestinian Authority’s minister for civilian affairs, Hussein Al-Sheikh, said that countries stopping support for the important UN agency could cause significant political and humanitarian problems.
The attacks on October 7th caused Israel to strike back hard on Hamas in Gaza. They used airstrikes and shelling that resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry run by Hamas in that area.
UNRWA is having a hard time getting help to many of the 1. 7 million people who had to leave their homes because of 12 weeks of fighting. -
Stop the Boats policy is a ‘fake response’ to problems with migration – UN
A high-ranking UN official is worried about the UK government‘s plan to stop boats bringing migrants. He thinks this plan is not a real solution to migration problems.
Rishi Sunak made a promise that was one of the five most important things for his government. The Prime Minister talked about these priorities at the beginning of last year.
However, Filippo Grandi, the leader of the United Nations refugee agency, told the media that migrants are vulnerable and can be easily taken advantage of.
The Home Office said that stopping people from entering the country illegally is a big problem and needs new, creative ideas to solve it.
Before the US presidential election and the UK general election, Mr. Grandi said that people in both countries are worried about immigration.
“Politicians are mostly responsible for causing this,” he said on BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
“Using lies to get people to vote for them. ”
“Migrants and refugees are often easy to harm or attack. ” Saying “we need to work hard on these problems” is not as exciting as saying “let’s just push them away and everything will be okay” – which isn’t true.
Mr Grandi was asked by Nick Robinson on the Today show if he is talking about the UK’s policy to stop boats and Donald Trump’s policy to build a wall.
“Sure,” replied Mr.
These are not real answers and they don’t even talk about the issue of arrivals.
“The problem is that too much focus on that takes away from the important work that needs to be done to better handle these difficult thoughts. ”
Mr Grandi spoke from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and shared his worries about the UK government’s plan to offer asylum to people from Rwanda.
Right now, Parliament is looking at a plan for a five-year agreement. It says that some asylum seekers who come to the UK will go to Rwanda to have their claims checked there.
If the plans work out, they might be given refugee status and be allowed to stay in the middle of Africa. If not, they could try to live in Rwanda for a different reason or ask for protection in a different country.
However, in November 2023, the highest court in the UK decided with complete agreement that the Rwanda plan was against the law.
After the highest court decided, the government made a new law to show that Rwanda is a safe country in UK.
Mr Grandi said to the media that some rich countries are making plans to give up their duty to help asylum seekers and make other countries take care of them instead. This goes against the main rules for protecting refugees.
Mr Grandi said it’s important for all people seeking asylum to have a fair process, especially in countries that have agreed to certain rules.
“If you refuse to take on that duty and give it away just to keep people out, the UN will always disapprove of it. ”
Mr Grandi asked for continued help from the West for Ukrainians affected by the war. He talked about a school in Kyiv that was built underground to keep kids safe from air strikes. He said that it shows how life has become very different for many people in Ukraine.
He said: “I’ve been in many wars, but I’ve rarely seen civilians as strong as they are now. But, we shouldn’t think their strength will last forever. ” That strength needs help from other countries.
“Four billion dollars is the total amount of money needed to support the humanitarian efforts for the Ukrainian crisis, both inside Ukraine and in countries hosting refugees. ”
Mr Grandi said he is very concerned about the frequent destruction of buildings in Gaza, especially this time when a UN building was destroyed, killing 12 people.
Israel said it didn’t do the attack and is checking if it was hit by Hamas.
“The government doesn’t agree with what the UNHCR has said about shirking responsibility. We are working with a safe country and taking care of over 130,000 asylum seekers. ”
“The Court of Appeal and the High Court said that it’s okay to move people to safe countries to process their asylum claims. This follows the rules of the Refugee Convention in the UK. ” The Supreme Court did not change this.
The Home Office said it wants to stop small boats from crossing the English Channel from France.
“We are focused on stopping the boats. That’s why we are taking strong action to stop people-smuggling gangs, discourage migrants from crossing dangerously, and work with the French to stop boats. ” a spokesperson said. -
Explosives kill nine people at Gaza as combat rages – UN reports
Nine people died and many others were hurt in explosions at a UN building where refugees live in Khan Younis. This was reported by the UN agency that helps people in Gaza.
UNRWA reported that a college in the western part of the city was hit by two tank shells. Around 800 people were staying there for shelter.
Israel has not said anything about the explosions, but they mentioned that their soldiers were in the nearby area.
The soldiers have surrounded the city and told over 500,000 people to leave.
UNRWA director Thomas White said on Twitter that the center was hit during fighting and many people were seriously hurt.
He said to CNN that there were explosions at a building where carpentry work is done. This happened after two days of fighting near the center, when UN workers couldn’t reach the building.
We are always talking to the Israeli army, who have promised to keep people in safe places protected. “They are secure,” he said.
“People have died at or near these places in the past few days. ”
There is intense fighting in southern Gaza, including in a crowded refugee camp near the UNWRA training college in Khan Younis.
The Israeli military said its forces are in the western part of the camp and have started operating inside it.
It was said that they were moving around western Khan Younis as part of a plan to take apart Hamas’ military system.
“The operation will keep targeting the military sites, bases, buildings, and leadership centers in the area,” it stated, also mentioning that Hamas took advantage of the crowded area, including its shelters and hospitals.
The Gaza health ministry, run by Hamas, reported that over 200 Palestinians were killed in the last day in some of the most intense fighting during the Israeli campaign to get rid of Hamas.
Israel went into Gaza after Hamas attacked and killed many people in Israel.
There was strong fighting near hospitals in Khan Younis, including Al-Aqsa, Nasser and Al-Amal. Palestinians were trying to escape, according to OCHA, a UN agency in Gaza.
OCHA said that because of the ongoing bombings, nobody can go in or out of Nasser Hospital. The medics also said that staff at the hospital are digging graves there because they expect a lot of people to die.
On Tuesday, Israel’s army ordered people to leave part of Khan Younis, where 500,000 people live. Most of them are refugees from other parts of Gaza.
Many countries have asked Israel to stop bombing the area for several months.
The leader of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said again that Israel will keep fighting in Gaza until Hamas is removed from power and the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October are returned.
A person who was not in the military and was carrying a white flag was killed by being shot.
A person with a camera from the UK’s ITV News recorded a video of a Palestinian civilian getting killed on a street about 1. 7km (1 mile) south of the UNRWA shelter on Monday.
Five men were walking towards a dangerous area with a white flag. Then, there was a sudden gunfire and one of them got shot and fell to the ground. It was not clear who started shooting.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was asked in the British parliament if seeing those pictures would make him want to work towards stopping the fighting in Gaza.
He said: “Nobody wants this fight to continue any longer than it has to, and we want to see a quick and lasting break for helping people. ”
On Tuesday morning, a leader from Palestine who knows about the current discussions in Cairo told the BBC that Egyptian negotiators have suggested a new plan to Hamas to end the war.
The official wants to start a new plan with a temporary peace to help people in need, in return for letting Israeli civilians go free from Hamas.
One big issue is when Israeli soldiers will leave Gaza.
Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, says that Israel is purposely delaying aid at the Rafah border crossing into Gaza to make things harder for Hamas.
He said to a group of military and government officials that because Israeli inspections take a long time, only a third of the usual number of trucks carrying aid were able to go into the area.
Israel says inspections are needed to make sure no weapons get to Hamas. -
UK island base unsuitable for immigration – UN
The UN agency for refugees said it’s not good for migrants to stay in a faraway place in the Indian Ocean with a secret UK-US military base. They got permission to visit and saw that it’s not a good place for migrants to stay for a long time.
Many Sri Lankan Tamils have been stuck for more than two years in a temporary camp on Diego Garcia.
This is the first time people have asked for asylum in this place.
The UK government said it was searching for a “solution that will last a long time”.
“The health and safety of migrants is the most important thing. ” The spokesperson said that the top importance of the British Indian Ocean Territory administration is to make sure it stays safe and well-managed. The official name of the islands is British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
UNHCR people went to Diego Garcia near the end of 2023 with help from the UK government. They were allowed to go to the island for the first time since the migrants arrived over two years ago.
The UN agency said it was “checking with officials” about what it had found.
A person speaking for the military said that Diego Garcia is an island with a military base and almost no people living there. It’s not a good place for people to live for a long time.
“We want the UK to fairly and quickly decide on the pending claims and help those who need international protection, following the rules of international law. ”
The first group of Tamils arrived on Diego Garcia in October 2021 because their boat got into trouble while they were trying to sail to Canada, as told by the migrants and officials.
The island is far away from other people, and unauthorized visitors are not allowed.
The group’s later requests for protection were the first ever to be made in Biot. This area is said to be different from the UK and the Refugee Convention does not apply there.
Many people in the group say they are connected to the old Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka. The rebels lost in the war that ended in 2009. They also say they have been treated badly because of this.Hunger protest
Asylum seekers say the conditions on the island are very bad, but because of the island’s unique laws, they are stuck in a difficult situation.
Many people have tried to hurt or kill themselves. Lawyers say children have also gone on hunger strikes.
Our lives are boring and dull. “I feel like I am just existing, not really living,” a man told the media.
Attorneys helping people seeking safety on Diego Garcia say there are still around 60 people on the island. Many people have been moved to Rwanda for help after trying to end their own lives.
The media was made knows that this agreement is different from the government’s plan to send some asylum seekers to an East African country. This plan passed an important step in Parliament this week.
“Our clients have been stuck on Diego Garcia for more than two years and still haven’t had their requests for international protection approved,” explained Tessa Gregory, one of the group’s lawyers.
The things they are going through. The conditions are really bad and not at all good for a group that has children and people who have been through torture and sexual violence.
Ms Gregory said that British lawyers representing the migrants want to go to the island.
Five people have been given permission to stay in another country, but we don’t know yet where they will go.
The government is helping other countries accept people who cannot go back to their own country safely.
The government has said to the BBC that they take all claims of mistreatment very seriously and look into them completely. -
South Africa’s genocide case against Israel to be heard by UN court
The UN’s court is listening to a case from South Africa. They are saying that Israel is doing terrible things to Palestinians in Gaza.
The request also asks the court to tell Israel to stop fighting in that area.
The ICJ will only give their view on the genocide claim because it’s not a criminal trial. But many people are paying close attention to it.
Israel strongly denied the accusation as “baseless”.
On Thursday, there was a lot of anger outside the ICJ’s Peace Palace as Dutch police tried to keep Palestinian and Israeli supporters from fighting.
Many people holding flags from Palestine came together outside the ICJ, asking for fighting to stop. Israeli supporters put up a screen to display pictures of some of the hostages still being held in Gaza.
South Africa will explain its side on Thursday and Israel will give its side on Friday.
South Africa says that Israel is trying to destroy many Palestinians.
Israel is doing things that hurt and kill people in Gaza, and it’s making their lives very hard.
The court wants Israel to stop all fighting in Gaza right away.
The ICJ is an important court for the United Nations, located in the Hague, Netherlands. The decisions of the ICJ are supposed to be followed by countries like Israel and South Africa, but they don’t have to follow them if they don’t want to.
In 2022, the court told Russia to stop fighting in Ukraine right away, but they didn’t listen.
In the law of the world, genocide means doing something on purpose to destroy a group of people because of their nationality, race, or religion.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is different from the International Criminal Court (ICC). It doesn’t have the power to put people on trial for things like genocide. But its decisions are important to the United Nations and other global organizations.
On Wednesday, the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, said that his country is strongly against the killing of people in Gaza and is taking the matter to the ICJ.
The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, said the accusations were terrible and ridiculous.
“We will go to the International Court of Justice and proudly present our case for using self-defense under humanitarian law,” he said.
He said the Israeli army is working very hard in difficult situations to avoid causing harm to innocent people.
The ICJ might decide soon on South Africa’s request for Israel to stop its military actions. But it could take a long time for a final decision on whether Israel is committing genocide.
William Schabas, an international law professor who led a UN committee looking into Israel’s fight with Hamas in 2014, said it is easy for the court to order Israel to stop.
He told the BBC that South Africa must show evidence to support its argument in court, but it doesn’t mean the court will decide if genocide is happening or not.
South Africa is very upset about Israel’s military operation in Gaza and the African National Congress has always supported the Palestinian cause.
It relates to its fight against apartheid, which was a system in South Africa where the white minority government discriminated against the black majority until 1994.
In Gaza, over 23,350 people have died since the war started after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7th, according to the health ministry run by Hamas. In the attacks, about 1,300 people, mostly civilians, were killed and around 240 people were taken hostage. -
UN Security Council approves Ghana-led framework for peace support
The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution led by Ghana, emphasizing support and funding for operations addressing threats to international peace and security in Africa.
This Peace Support funding model goes beyond traditional UN peacekeeping operations.
Under the resolution, AU-led peace support operations mandated by the UN Security Council will receive up to 75% of their annual budgets from UN assessed contributions.
The remaining amount will be jointly mobilized by the UN and the African Union from the international community as extra-budgetary resources.
The Council commits to considering viable options in case of significant shortfalls in resource mobilization. Ghana submitted the resolution with other African countries on the Security Council.
The goal is to change the traditional response to peace and security in Africa, especially concerning violent extremism and terrorism. Ghana aims to achieve these goals within its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
The resolution emphasizes addressing socio-economic and climatic root causes of conflicts in addition to military operations.
“The dramatic outcome of the complex and difficult negotiations comes 10 days before the end of Ghana’s term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council,“ said the release.
ECOWAS and regional security initiatives, such as the Accra Initiative and the Multi National Joint Task Force, may benefit from the resources and international support to combat terrorism and violent extremism in the ECOWAS region.
“When Ghana announced its priorities at the beginning of its term in January 2022 to secure agreement of the Security Council to change its traditional response to international peace and security, especially in Africa, where violent extremism and terrorism had overtaken traditional conflicts that attracted UN peacekeeping, many had expressed skepticism.”
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, declared the adoption of the resolution as a great day for Africa and diplomacy.
“Attempts in the past to agree on the use of UN assessed contributions to support African-led operations had failed in the face of opposition from some Permanent Members of the Council and other large contributors to the UN.”
The resolution aims to end threats to international peace and security in the region and promote peace, stability, and progress through successful peace support operations.
“One key objective was to starve terrorists of conditions for radicalisation and recruitment from vulnerable communities,” the release emphasised.
“With the adoption of the framework resolution, it is understood that the plans of ECOWAS and relevant security initiatives in our region, such as the Accra Initiative and the Multi National Joint Task Force, battling Boko Haram, will potentially benefit from the needed resources and international support to defeat terrorism and violent extremism in the ECOWAS region.”
“Working with our partners around the world, we have taken a giant step to end the many threats to international peace and security in our region.
“Our people deserve the peace, stability and progress that successful peace support operations will bring. The distractions to our regional integration project and the pressure on development resources from our security needs would ease as we go forward.
“I congratulate President Akufo-Addo for his leadership. I also commend our team in NewYork, my own Ministry and the Multi-Stakeholder Working Group on the United Nations Security Council, which I set up to advise me.”
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Taliban puts battered Afghan women in jail – UN
The Taliban government in Afghanistan is putting women who have survived abuse in prison, saying it is for their safety, a UN report says.
The UN said that doing this thing hurts the mental and physical health of the survivors.
The Taliban government doesn’t think there is a need for government-funded women’s shelters anymore. So, there are none.
The Taliban in Afghanistan treat women very badly and don’t give them rights.
The United Nations help group in Afghanistan said that violence against women and girls has always been a big problem, even before the Taliban took control of the country.
“But now, these types of incidents happen a lot because of the problems with money, finance, and people’s well-being in the country,” UNAMA said. More and more, women have been forced to stay at home. This makes them more likely to experience violence from their family or partner.
Before the Taliban took control again in 2021, there were 23 government-supported shelters for women’s safety in Afghanistan. According to UNAMA, these shelters have disappeared.
The Taliban officials told UNAMA that women should not need shelters because they should be with their husbands or male family members. Someone said that shelters like this are “a concept from the western world”.
The officials said they would ask the male family members to promise not to harm the woman survivor.
If there were no men in her family to stay with, or if she might be in danger, the survivor would be sent to prison to keep her safe. This is like how some people who are addicted to drugs and people who don’t have a home are given a place to live in the capital city of Kabul, according to UNAMA.
UNAMA said that this would mean taking away someone’s freedom without a good reason.
“Punishing women in a vulnerable situation by keeping them confined could make their mental and physical health worse. It could also make them feel like victims again and put them at risk of being discriminated against and stigmatized when they are released. ”
UNAMA said that the Taliban did not handle gender-based violence complaints clearly or consistently for a year starting on 15 August 2021.
For instance, it’s hard to tell the difference between criminal and civil complaints, which means women and girls might not get the legal help they need.
Most complaints are dealt with by men. The United Nations said that because there are not many women handling complaints, it makes it hard for survivors to speak up.
People who have experienced something bad can no longer be sure they will get help for their problems, like through the legal system or getting money to make up for what happened to them. UNAMA reported that people are scared of the Taliban government and how they do things, so they don’t want to ask for help from the official justice system.
Between 2001 and 2021, there were some moves to improve women’s rights, like changing laws and policies. But now, these changes have almost all gone away.
Since the Taliban took over again in 2021, they have almost completely gone back on their promises to allow women to work and go to school.
In Afghanistan, only young girls can go to primary school. Young girls and women are not allowed to go to school or college.
They can’t go to parks, gyms, and pools. Beauty shops are closed, and women have to cover their bodies except for their eyes. They need to have a male family member with them if they are traveling more than 72km (45 miles). -
Relief organisations warn of dire humanitarian situation in Gaza
“The situation for people in Gaza is really bad and aid groups are saying they urgently need more help. Not enough aid is reaching the area. ”
Recently, only 20% of the aid needed has been able to reach the area. A lot of it cannot be given out because of the big Israeli bombings, according to Melanie Ward from Medical Aid for Palestinians.
She said that the help coming in is very little, and it is the worst disaster that anyone working in Gaza has ever seen.
The only border crossing that is open right now is at Rafah, which is on the border of Egypt. The UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, said that they are giving out some aid to people there, but only a small amount.
Hardly any help has been able to reach the northern part of Gaza because of the heavy fighting and restrictions on the main road.
Help organizations gave more food and supplies to people in Gaza during a pause in fighting that ended on December 1st. Some hostages were also let go during this time. But things have gotten even worse since the fighting started again.More update on this story soon…
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Atmosphere is indifferent to the possibility – COP veteran
Earlier, an argument about climate science almost took the attention away from the negotiations.
Sultan al-Jaber, the leader of COP28, changed his mind about saying there is no scientific reason to stop using fossil fuels to keep the global temperature from rising too much.
I found Prof Jean-Pascal van Ypersele in the main hall. He used to be the second leader of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the top authority on climate science worldwide.
This is his 27th meeting about the world’s climate at the UN. He has seen many agreements made and then forgotten.
“In 21 pages, there are 100 times that words like acknowledging, noting, recognizing are used. ” “but the word ‘decide’ is only there four times,” he says.
“The air doesn’t get it. ” It only knows about actual emissions, actual cuts, or actual carbon absorption.
If governments agree on this draft at COP, the world will keep getting hotter because emissions won’t be reduced enough.More update on this story soon…
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Half of Gaza’s population famished – UN
A top UN aid person said that many people in Gaza are hungry because of the ongoing fighting.
“The deputy director of the UN World Food Programme, Carl Skau, said that only a small amount of the things they need have been able to get in to the Strip. Nine out of 10 people there can’t eat every day. ”
Mr Skau said it’s very difficult to deliver things in Gaza because of the conditions.
Israel says it needs to keep bombing Gaza to stop Hamas and to bring back Israelis who have been taken as prisoners.
The spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces said to the BBC that they feel bad when civilians are hurt, but they don’t have any other choice.
He said we are trying our best to get as much as we can into the Gaza Strip.
Herzi Halevi, boss of the IDF, was recorded telling soldiers that the army needs to be more aggressive because “we’re seeing terrorists giving up. “This is a sign that their network is falling apart. ”
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has used a special law to go around Congress and approve the sale of about 14,000 tank bullets worth over $106 million to Israel.
Movement to and from Gaza has been made very difficult since October 7th when Hamas fighters broke through Israel’s heavily guarded perimeter fence. They killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages.
Israel shut down the borders with Gaza and started bombing the area. This made it hard for people in Gaza to get the help they needed.
The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, says that Israel has killed over 17,700 people in their campaign to retaliate, and more than 7,000 of those were children.
Only the Rafah border with Egypt is open, letting some aid get to Gaza. This week Israel said they will open the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel to Gaza in a few days. They will only allow aid trucks to go through for inspection. The trucks will go to Rafah and then cross into Gaza.
Mr Skau said he was not ready for the fear, the chaos, and the despair he and his WFP team saw during their trip to Gaza this week.
He said they saw a lot of chaos at warehouses and distribution points. Many hungry people were desperate, and the supermarkets had empty shelves. The shelters were too crowded, and the bathrooms were overflowing.
Last month, international pressure and a brief seven-day halt in fighting allowed some much-needed aid to go into the Gaza Strip. But the WFP says that another border crossing is necessary now to meet the demand.
Mr Skau said that in some places, 9 out of 10 families don’t have any food for a whole day and night.
People in Khan Younis, a city in the south of Gaza, are in a very bad situation because Israeli tanks surround their city on two sides.
Dr Ahmed Moghrabi, who leads the plastic surgery and burns unit at Nasser hospital, was very sad as he talked to the BBC about not having enough food.
I have a three-year-old daughter who always asks me for sweets, apples, and fruits. I cannot give it. “I feel like I can’t do anything,” he said.
“We don’t have much food, just rice. Can you believe we only eat once a day. ”
Khan Younis has been hit with a lot of air strikes lately. The boss of Nasser hospital there said his team can’t keep up with all the people who are getting hurt and killed.
Israel says that leaders of Hamas are hiding in Khan Younis, maybe in tunnels underground. They are fighting to destroy the group’s weapons and military power, going from house to house and tunnel to tunnel.
On Saturday, the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said that the United States is helping the bad things happening in the war by blocking a UN resolution to stop the fighting in Gaza.
13 out of 15 countries on the Security Council voted for the resolution asking for a ceasefire. The UK didn’t vote and the US was the only country that said no to the resolution.
Mr Abbas, the boss of the Palestinian government, said that he blames Washington for the killing of Palestinian kids, women, and old people in Gaza by Israeli soldiers.
The US ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, supported the decision to veto and said the resolution was asking for a ceasefire that couldn’t be maintained. This would allow Hamas to continue their actions from October 7.
Benjamin Netanyahu , the leader of Israel, said he was thankful for the US supporting them at the security council.
A temporary halt in fighting for seven days ended a little over a week ago. Hamas let go of 78 people they were holding captive, and in return, Israel released 180 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas in Gaza is still holding more than 100 hostages.
On Saturday, it was reported that Sahar Baruch, a 25-year-old Israeli who was held hostage, has been killed. His kibbutz and a group of hostages shared this news in a statement.
After the armed group of Hamas showed a video on Friday of the aftermath of a failed mission by the Israeli military to rescue a hostage. -
Ghanaian appointed Deputy Head of AU-UN Mission in South Sudan
On December 8, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Anita Kiki Gbeho from Ghana as the new Deputy Special Representative in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Resident Coordinator in South Sudan.
Ms. Gbeho will also take on the role of Humanitarian Coordinator. She succeeds Sara Beysolow Nyanti of Liberia, and the Secretary-General expressed gratitude for Ms. Nyanti’s dedication and service.
With over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, coordination, and management in political, development, and humanitarian affairs, Ms. Gbeho has worked in various conflict and post-conflict settings, including Angola, Cambodia, Iraq, Namibia, Somalia, and Sudan.
Since 2021, she has served as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General-Political in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, supporting Somalia in achieving its peace and state-building goals.
From 2018 to 2020, Ms. Gbeho served as the Deputy Joint Special Representative of the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur, where she played a leading role in developing and implementing the Mission’s transition strategy.
In the period between 2015 and 2018, she held the position of Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative with the United Nations Development Programme in Namibia.
Additionally, Ms. Gbeho has served as the Chief of Section in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New York and as the Head of Office for OCHA in Somalia and Southern Sudan. She holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
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Israel refuses requests for cease-fire during UN gathering
The ambassador of Israel to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, has strongly said no to the idea of stopping the fighting.
He said to the UN that a ceasefire makes Hamas stronger in Gaza and shows that Hamas is forgiven for their terrible actions.
Erdan also said that the international community allowed Hamas to oppress the people in Gaza.
He said that unless the military forces push Hamas, talking alone won’t be enough to free the hostages.The person who represents the Palestinian Authority spoke at a meeting of the UN Security Council.
However, Riyad Mansour said at the meeting that the Israeli’s goal was clear and that it was to make people leave.
He said Israel will make Gaza so difficult for people to live in, that they will have to leave.
Mansour said that he thinks Israel is making people move to the south, and he thinks they will attack the area soon.More update on this story soon…
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UN Security Council to decide whether to approve ceasefire in Gaza
The UN Security Council will decide on a resolution proposed by the UAE for a quick ceasefire in Gaza to provide humanitarian help.
Two days later, UN chief Antonio Guterres used his power to bring up a matter to the council that is not often used. may cause problems for keeping peace around the world.
The US does not want to stop the fighting and is expected to vote against the decision to stop it.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has asked Israel to do better at keeping civilians safe. He said there is a difference between what Israel promises and what is really happening.
At the same time, the Palestinian health ministry in the occupied West Bank reports that six Palestinians died in an Israeli attack on al-Fara refugee camp.
Hamas attacked Israel in October. They killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. Some hostages were released when there was a short break in the fighting.
Hamas leaders in Gaza say that Israel has killed over 17,177 people in its counterattack, including around 7,000 children.
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Khan Younis Hospital ‘overwhelmed’ by number of deaths
In the busy part of the Gaza Strip, there was a lot of bombing after the Israeli military told people to leave.
A representative said that the military operations against Hamas in the south of the Palestinian territory will be just as strong as those in the north, which have caused a lot of damage.
The US, which is Israel’s best friend,asked Israel to avoid hurting more innocent people. A hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis has too many injured people and is struggling to help them all.
A person who works for the UN in Gaza says that Palestinians have very few places to go for safety. The UN thinks that 1. 8 million people from Gaza have been forced to leave their homes.
People thought there might be another short break from fighting in Gaza, but it doesn’t seem likely now. Last week, a break from fighting only lasted for seven days before it ended.
Israel will keep fighting until it reaches its goals, like taking out Hamas.
A leader from Hamas said that they will only talk about swapping Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners if there is a long-term agreement to stop fighting. -
Death toll from flooding in Somalia rises to 110 – UN
Somalia‘s floods have killed 110 people so far, according to the UN humanitarian agency UN OCHA.
More than one million people have been forced to leave their homes and 2. 4 million people have been affected in 36 regions, the organization said.
UN OCHA told people that there is a big chance of sickness spreading after hearing about possible cases of cholera and watery diarrhea in Hirshabelle and Galmudug.
The agency said that only 30% of the people affected have gotten help. But they have sent out 37 boats to bring supplies to the flooded areas and rescue people who are stuck.
In the past few weeks, Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia have had very heavy rains, which have caused deaths, people having to leave their homes, and a lot of damage.
The floods happen because of a weather pattern called El Niño. It happens when the Pacific Ocean gets warmer.
Scientists say that really bad weather like floods will happen more often and be worse because the air is getting warmer from climate change. -
Ethiopian cholera outbreak claims at least 23 lives – UN
Save the Children says that 23 people have died from cholera in eastern Ethiopia after flooding.
The UK relief agency said that over 770 people have gotten cholera in the Somali region within the last two weeks. This area has been hit the hardest by the recent flooding and heavy rains.
The heavy rain has affected 1. 5 million people in the country. 600,000 people have had to leave their homes because of the rain, according to the UN.
However, only 10% of the people who need help are getting it because Ethiopia doesn’t have enough money to help everyone.
Save the Children said that more than 90 districts in Ethiopia have cholera. They think that the situation could get worse because more rain is coming in at least three regions.
The big rains in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya happened because of two weather patterns called El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole. -
Parts of northern Gaza no longer habitable – UN agency
We just listened to Thomas White, who is in charge of UNRWA in Gaza. He visited the northern part of Gaza and the area around Gaza City.
Israel told people to leave the area when its troops started to move in October.
“It was creepy going from a busy city to a city with damaged roads and buildings,” he said on BBC Radio 4.
“You can drive through entire neighborhoods where all the buildings are broken and there are hardly any people outside. ”
He said that in some places where there is not much damage, there are some signs of life. A few people are sitting in front of their shops and in their doorways. But the city is still very quiet and feels strange.
The UN group also went to Jabalia in northern Gaza to give out aid supplies.
“Many people felt very relieved to finally have some help,” White said.
He said parts of northern Gaza are too damaged to live in.
Other areas seem to be mostly unaffected, but they don’t have electricity and only a little water.
“All the usual services and things that people do. ” “He said that they are basically not there,” . -
Rural Haiti seeing an increase in gang violence – UN report
Finland is going to close the last open border point with Russia on Thursday. This means that the border between Finland and Russia will be completely closed for two weeks.
The Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, said that Russia is helping people to come to the Finnish border, even in very cold winter weather. Finland is sure they will stop this from happening.
The final checkpoint at the eastern border will close at midnight on November 30th and will not reopen until December 13th, according to Finland’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Helsinki is trying to stop people from crossing over from Russia more and more. This has been happening a lot since Russia invaded Ukraine last year and Finland joined NATO this year.
Finland’s Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said we need to close the whole eastern border with Russia to protect Finland’s national security from Russian activity.
The Finnish Border Guard wants to stop people from entering Finland illegally from Russia.
Finland makes sure its borders are safe and the Finnish Border Guard is ready to act fast on the Government’s new decisions.
Finland has a 830-mile-long border with Russia. The crossing was one of the only places where Russians could enter after many countries in the West closed their airspace and borders to Russian planes because of the Ukraine invasion.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Tuesday that Finland’s choice to shut down all border checkpoints with Russia will hurt Finnish citizens. He also called it “unreasonable. ”
“They closed the border, what should we do. Finnish people will be in trouble,” Grushko said at a meeting in Moscow.
We can talk about smart choices and then try to find a reason behind them. “But sometimes people make irrational decisions,” he said. He also mentioned that only around 700 migrants tried to cross the border between Russia and Finland during this time.
The Finnish government said that it will close four border points with Russia to stop people from crossing the border illegally. This will happen from this week until February 2024.
On Tuesday, the interior ministry of Finland said that people are still entering the country from the eastern border even though there are restrictions.
“Since the start of August, almost 1,000 people from other countries came to Finland without a visa at the eastern border checkpoints. ” Many of them have asked for protection in Finland, the government said.
“In very special situations, the government is closing the eastern border completely for a short time. This is needed to stop something bad from happening and to keep the country safe. ” The ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.
NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg said Russia is using migrants to put pressure on Finland at their border.
“We have seen them using power, cyber attacks, and secret operations to try to weaken our democracies. ” Stoltenberg said Russia is using migration to put pressure on neighboring countries.
NATO has not been asked by Finland for help with guarding its borders. Stoltenberg said he believes Finland can handle the issue on its own.
He liked that the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, was going to send 50 guards to the Finnish border.
Helsinki stopped people from entering at the end of September 2022 because many Russians were trying to escape President Vladimir Putin’s call for hundreds of thousands of citizens to join the war. Over 8,500 people from Russia came across the border in just one day.
Earlier this year, the Finnish Border Guard started building a fence along the eastern border as a test. -
UN expects combat pauses could extend to border between Israel and Lebanon
It might be wishful thinking to hope that the break in fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza could also stop the conflict on Israel’s border with Lebanon.
UNIFIL is a group from the United Nations that has been watching and helping to keep peace in the area called the “Blue Line” since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, a strong group in southern Lebanon.
At the UNIFIL base in Lebanon, spokesperson Andrea Tenenti says he wants peace to come back, even for a short time. But he knows there’s no official way or direct talks between the fighting groups to make it happen.
Since fights started here on 8 October, Tenenti says there has been a steady increase in rocket and missile attacks from both sides.
However, he also said that there have already been attacks that go further into Lebanon and Israel, and he recognizes that these “mistakes” could cause a bigger war.
The 2006 agreement said Hezbollah had to eventually give up its weapons. Many people, especially in Israel, believe that not being able to accomplish this has made tensions along the border worse and could lead to another big war.
Tenenti says that everyone needs to do something about the resolution and make the regular Lebanese army stronger. He knows that many people in Lebanon support Hezbollah, not just in the south but in other parts of the country too.
A return to how things were before the events in early October is the best outcome that the UN and the people in the villages on both sides of the border can expect. -
Global leaders hope agreement will make war in Gaza end
As we’ve been saying, the fighting will stop tomorrow morning at 10:00 local time.
In the past few hours, we’ve received more responses from diplomats about the deal. Here are some important people’s opinions.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, says he is happy about the truce, but thinks it won’t stop people from suffering. He wants the effort to free the rest of the hostages to keep going and for fighting to stop in Gaza.
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres thinks it’s a good start, but there’s still a lot more work to do.
The Turkish government hopes the agreement will help stop the war and start a process for a fair and lasting peace with two separate states.
In another place, King Abdullah of Jordan is going to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi to discuss how to stop the fighting between Israel and the Palestinians, according to a statement from the palace. -
32 people killed including UN peacekeeper in Sudan conflict
The Sudanese government in the area of Abyei say that 32 people were killed when armed men attacked the local villages.
The Information Minister of Abyei, Bolis Kuoch, said that more than 20 people were hurt when some men started shooting on Sunday morning.
He said UN peacekeepers stepped in to stop the fighting, but one of them was killed.
There has been a lot of fighting between different groups in Abyei over who gets to use the land and resources.
The area has a lot of oil and is on the border of Sudan and South Sudan. Both countries consider it to be part of their territory because they signed a peace agreement in 2005.
Last week, the UN Security Council agreed to keep its peacekeeping mission in place for another year. -
Chief of UN Human Rights ‘alarmed’ by allegations of torture against Afghan refugees in Pakistan
The United Nations‘ human rights leader, Volker Türk, expressed great concern about the mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan as the country forces them to leave.
Türk said he is worried about reports that Afghan people are being kicked out of Pakistan for no good reason and also being treated badly, arrested, and forced to leave their things behind.
He asked the Pakistani government to stop sending people back to their country until they have a fair way to decide who should go back and investigate reports of mistreatment by the police.
Pakistan asked over a million Afghan refugees to leave the country by November 1. They can leave on their own, without being forced.
The UN says that over 327,000 refugees have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan because they were afraid of getting arrested.
The UN heard that Afghan refugees in Pakistan are being treated unfairly. Some were arrested for no reason and had their things taken away by the police.
“Unfair arrests and keeping people in custody go against Pakistan’s responsibilities under international laws,” Türk added.
The UN Human Rights Chief wants Pakistan to make sure that people who could be in danger in Afghanistan are kept safe and not sent back there.
Türk said that women and girls are at higher risk if they are sent back against their will because the authorities’ rules stop them from going to school, working, moving around, and taking part in public activities.
In August 2021, the Taliban took over the country again and stopped girls from going to school and women from going to university. Lately, they have shut down beauty salons and stopped women from going to a well-liked national park.
By the end of 2022, Pakistan had over 1. 3 million Afghan refugees who were officially registered, and about 427,000 other people from Afghanistan in similar situations, as reported by the United Nations refugee agency.
But many people in Pakistan have been upset about them being there for a long time. The police have tried to stop them and have threatened to send them away in the past.
Pakistan’s government has made a plan to crack down on people who are in the country illegally.
A group of people is working together to catch people who have fake ID cards and illegal houses built with fake documents. The national database and registration body has been told to cancel any fake ID cards and check with DNA testing to confirm cases.
In 1979, lots of Afghans left their country because of the Soviet invasion and went to live in Pakistan. This was the biggest refugee crisis in the world at that time. In 2021, many Afghans fled to Pakistan after the Taliban took control of Kabul. They didn’t have all the right papers and were waiting for visas to go to other countries like the United States. -
One of the 72 employees killed in Gaza was disabled woman in her 20s – UN report
Taking a break from talking about Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, has announced that 72 of its workers have been killed in Gaza during the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
A young colleague with disabilities in her mid-20s, along with her family, was killed in northern Gaza, according to spokeswoman Juliette Touma speaking to the BBC.
The UN is taking care of 700,000 people who are living in shelters that are too crowded. In some of these shelters, up to 100 people have to share one toilet.
She repeated the UN’s request for a pause in fighting, stating that it should have happened earlier. Israel has said no to pleas for a stop in fighting. Many countries, including the UK and US, have not agreed with the UN’s request for a ceasefire. Instead, they are suggesting temporary breaks to allow humanitarian assistance. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is currently in Israel. -
Deep rifts prior to important UN climate negotiations
There are already signs that big disagreements might cause problems at the UN’s important COP28 climate summit.
Over 70 environment ministers and over 100 national groups have been gathering in Abu Dhabi before discussions start in Dubai on November 30.
Many people are unsure if a summit hosted by a country that heavily relies on oil like the United Arab Emirates can lead the world towards a future with less carbon emissions.
This year is expected to be the hottest ever recorded worldwide.
The leader of the COP28 conference, Sultan Al Jaber, recognized the difficult problems he has to deal with.
He encouraged everyone to work together, agree on things, and solve any disagreements.
However, Mr Al Jaber is a person who creates a lot of disagreement and conflict among people.
He is also the leader of Adnoc, which is the state oil company of UAE and one of the biggest producers of oil in the world.
According to OPEC, Adnoc produced around 2. 7 million barrels of oil per day in 2021.
Greta Thunberg said that his appointment was very silly and made her doubt the whole UN climate process.
She said at a recent rally in London that the COP conferences are not meant to cause a significant decrease in CO2 emissions. “If they were different, they wouldn’t choose an oil company leader to be the president. ”
Mr Al Jaber has a very different opinion, which is not surprising.
He believes that we can only address climate change by including oil and gas in the conversation. He says that his experience in the industry makes him the best person to advocate for taking action.
Mr Al Jaber wanted to make it very clear in Abu Dhabi this week that he has big goals for the main discussions, and he made an effort to eliminate any uncertainties or concerns about it.
He said again that the main goal would be to keep the world on course to limit the increase in temperature to 1. 5 degrees Celsius above levels before industries started. Scientists say that if we do this, it will help us avoid the worst effects of climate change.
And Mr Al Jaber agreed that in order to achieve that, it will be necessary to significantly reduce emissions.
“He said we must find effective ways to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030, as supported by scientific evidence. ”
However, many people in the audience did not believe in Mr. Al Jaber’s commitment, especially because his oil company has ambitious plans to grow during the same time.
The company wants to increase how much oil it can produce each day by 600,000 barrels by the year 2030. They are also spending $150 billion to make this happen.
Mr Al Jaber said that despite emissions reducing, the world will still require some oil and gas. The IPCC has also recognized this.
He suggests that when it comes to choosing oil and gas, the UAE’s products should be considered first, as they have very low carbon emissions during production. However, when burned, they still release the same amount of CO2 as other fuels.
Arguments like this help to explain why countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the US believe it is better to reduce fossil fuel production gradually instead of stopping it completely. This is because the carbon dioxide (CO2) they produce is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions.
The European Union is a member of a group of around 80 countries that have a stricter approach. Some people believe we can’t make any compromises when it comes to eliminating fossil fuels.
Wopke Hoestra, EU Commissioner for Climate Action, wants to quickly stop using fossil fuels and use words that represent this goal well.
Mr Al Jaber acknowledges that it will be difficult to find agreement between countries with different opinions on this important matter. He encourages the delegates in Abu Dhabi to try their hardest to find shared ideas or solutions.
But there is also a deadlock on other problems.
A major accomplishment of the recent UN climate conference was reaching a global agreement to create a fund called “loss and damage. ” This fund will assist poorer countries in paying for the negative impacts caused by climate change.But initial discussions about how to create the fund and who might be in charge of it have already failed and there are concerns that major polluting countries like the US might not participate in the discussions at all.
Mr Al Jaber is working very hard to restart the negotiations, and recently he said that the UAE will hold another meeting for the committee in charge.
It may be difficult to reach an agreement at COP28, even when there is a general agreement on certain issues.
One of the UAE’s main goals for COP28 is to increase the amount of renewable energy available worldwide to three times the current capacity, reaching 11,000GW by 2030.
Most big countries already agree with that aim.
The G20, which is made up of countries like China, the United States, and India, that have strong economies, agreed to greatly increase the use of renewable energy sources at a meeting in September.
But, some European countries and states that are affected by climate change have stated that they will only agree to use clean energy if there is also an agreement to gradually stop using fossil fuels.
These significant disagreements on fundamental matters indicate that making progress during the COP28 conference starting on November 30 will be very challenging.
This is very different from how people felt when they signed the Paris Agreement eight years ago. It shows that the talks have changed a lot.
The aim of the Paris agreement was to convince countries that they should join forces to combat climate change.
Now these talks are focused on making countries actually do something – which is more difficult to achieve.
The meeting in Abu Dhabi this week showed that when the main talks start, they will mostly be influenced by international competitions, local politics, and disagreements over money, rather than a genuine concern for saving the planet from global warming. -
UN ‘doesn’t know’ if Hamas has stocked fuel – Agency head
I recently attended a press conference given by Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, an organization that helps Palestinian refugees. We have been discussing this conference in our previous posts.
He said the United Nations really wants fuel to go to Gaza to provide electricity for essential services. Israel says that Hamas took fuel from UNRWA and has about 500,000 liters of it. Earlier this week, the Israeli army mentioned that UNRWA should seek permission from Hamas if they want to obtain something.
I asked Lazzarini further if this is true. He said he had seen news about Hamas having enough fuel for six weeks, but he admitted that he didn’t know anything about it at all. “He said to me that he doesn’t know what Hamas has or doesn’t have in Gaza. ”
He said that there is a store of fuel in Gaza that holds up to 400,000 liters. This fuel was brought in as part of a previous agreement between Qatar and Israel before the conflict started on October 7th.
Lazzarini explained that in order for UNRWA to obtain the fuel, they need agreements called “deconfliction” with Israel. This means that the UN wants assurance from Israel that the area is secure for its workers and will not be targeted for bombing. He said in the past few days, UNRWA was able to get “some fuel” from this storage place after an agreement was made. However, he said that there were still things left to discuss and it is Israel’s decision whether or not to allow access.
When asked if Hamas took the UN fuel, Lazzarini said “no” once more. -
EU declines advocating for ceasefire in Gaza prior to UN vote as situation there deteriorates
The leaders of the European Union have not asked for a complete stop to the fighting in Gaza. Instead, they are requesting short breaks to send aid to the people there. The United Nations said their work in Gaza is not able to continue because of Israel’s constant bombing of the area.
The statement was released after meetings in Brussels on Thursday. The United Nations Security Council has tried multiple times to pass a resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas, but has been unsuccessful. Member states are now preparing to vote on a new resolution proposed by Jordan on behalf of Arab states on Friday.
The Foreign Minister of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, said to diplomats at the United Nations Assembly Hall that punishing everyone for one person’s actions is not a way to protect oneself. The resolution asks for the fighting to stop, for hostages to be released, and for no one to be forced to leave their homes.
Over 2 million people in Gaza are going through a worsening crisis because of daily bombings and a blockage of fuel that is needed to save lives. Israel claims that Hamas is gathering and storing fuel for its own purposes, and has requested that Hamas, the powerful Palestinian group in control of Gaza, distribute it to others as well. The lack of electricity has greatly affected healthcare, and many people have had to leave their homes because of the bombings.
Since October 7, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 7,028 individuals in Gaza. Among the victims are numerous children. This information was reported on Thursday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas.
People all over the world are urging Israel to let aid into Gaza, which really needs it. The United Nations and some countries nearby are asking for a quick stop to the fighting, while others think there should be a temporary break so people can get the help they need.
However, the world has not been able to come together and agree on what to do about the crisis. It has been almost three weeks since the violence started, which was caused by Hamas’ violent attacks and kidnappings on October 7. These attacks resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 people in Israel and over 200 people being taken hostage in Gaza.
The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said on Thursday that requests for a ceasefire were not about trying to achieve peace. Instead, they were about restricting Israel’s ability to protect its citizens and deal with a significant threat.
Israel is not fighting against people, they are fighting against very bad creatures. They want to completely destroy Hamas and will do whatever it takes to achieve this.
He said this while the Defense Minister said that Israel’s troops are getting ready for the next part of their fight against Hamas. People think this will be through a ground attack.
The movement will start when the circumstances are suitable. These conditions are complicated because the campaign is also complicated. “The soldiers are prepared,” Gallant said during a meeting in Tel Aviv.
Israel’s military carried out a planned operation in northern Gaza last night. They have promised to continue carrying out similar operations on the ground in the next few days.
The goal of the incursions is to target and eliminate Hamas fighters, prepare for a full-scale invasion, and disable bombs and surveillance posts. This information comes from a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Daniel Hagari spoke on Thursday.
There were six people hurt when a rocket hit Taba, a city by the Red Sea in Egypt.
The rocket hit a building where ambulances are kept and also hit a residential area of the hospital’s office building in a city that is next to Israel. We don’t know yet who shot the rocket or from where, but the IDF said they know about the security issue.The health ministry in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, released a long report with many names of people who died since October 7. They say that these deaths were caused by the Israeli military’s attacks.
The ministry said that many more people have likely died than what has been reported. The report does not include people who have not been identified, those who were buried without being officially registered at the hospital, or those who are still missing. There are about 1,600 people who are still missing.
The list doesn’t separate people involved in combat and those not involved, but it does include information about age, gender, and the ID card number of the victims. This list was released after US President Joe Biden expressed doubt about the number of civilian casualties reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel and the US have said they are not sure if the numbers of people who died in Gaza are accurate, but they have not shown any proof that the numbers are too high.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said that the ministry in Gaza is secretly affiliated with Hamas. However, he did not deny that many Palestinians, including innocent civilians, have been killed.
The leader of the US-supported Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, Mohammad Shtayyeh, stated that the PA’s own health authority believes the numbers are accurate.
“These numbers belong to us,” Shtayyeh said in an interview on Thursday with Al Jazeera. “Every day, the hospitals in Gaza send us these numbers. Our Ministry of Health receives them. ”
The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah is led by a different group than Hamas, and it oversees the Ministry of Health, which has a connection with the Gaza ministry. Every day, the number of people who have died in Gaza is reported in both Gaza and Ramallah.Israel has said that Hamas is in charge of important fuel supplies in Gaza. This is a big problem because hospitals, bakeries, and UN humanitarian efforts might have to stop working because they don’t have enough fuel.
Juliette Touma, who is in charge of communication for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), has said that if the agency does not receive sufficient fuel, it will have to completely stop its operations. The fuel is necessary to generate electricity for hospitals and to desalinate water.
Touma said that UNRWA is still having a hard time because they have very little fuel, and the amount they have is getting even less. There is still limited supply of deliveries to places like hospitals and bakeries. UNRWA is having trouble because they are not getting enough fuel to the Gaza Strip.
The IDF explained that the issue in Gaza is not a shortage of fuel. Instead, it is caused by Hamas, the group in control of the situation.
Colonel Avichay Adraee stated that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) successfully targeted and destroyed a Hamas military compound in the Gaza Strip. The operation was carried out in retaliation for the ongoing rocket attacks fired by Hamas towards Israeli territories. ColonelAccording to Israeli military intelligence, Hamas has control of a large amount of fuel, which ranges from 800,000 to potentially over one million liters, stored in Gaza. Jonathan Conricus shared this information with CNN on Thursday.
“He said that some of it was collected and stored earlier, some were taken without permission from the UN, and some were taken by Hamas from private sellers. ”
Israel is stopping the delivery of fuel to Gaza completely because they think Hamas would use it for military purposes instead.
In simpler words, Tamara Alrifai, who works for UNRWA, said that it doesn’t matter if there are other sources of fuel in Gaza. UNRWA is a humanitarian organization and they shouldn’t have to beg for fuel to keep doing their work.
With very little fuel left, UNWRA is having to choose whether to provide electricity to bakeries or hospitals. More than 600,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and now only get one piece of bread a day.
On Thursday, twelve trucks with aid went into Gaza from Egypt. They brought water, food, medicine, and medical supplies, but no fuel. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported this.
According to PRCS, 74 trucks have entered the area since humanitarian aid transfers started again a few days ago.
Usually, there would be about 455 daily, the United Nations said. This means that essential supplies are coming into the area much slower than necessary.
The hospitals are very full and close to breaking down because there are too many injured people. Doctors have told CNN many times that they don’t have enough supplies or electricity to properly take care of them. -
UN scales back humanitarian efforts in Gaza as fuel runs out
The UN aid agencies are cutting back their work in the Gaza Strip because they have almost run out of fuel.
A little bit of fuel is being taken from existing fuel supplies to keep the water supply working in the south. Many people are staying there to stay safe from the strikes by Israel.
But, they will finish on Thursday.
The organizations claim that they have decreased their help for busy hospitals and bakeries providing food for people who have been forced to leave their homes.
Juliette Touma from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, told the BBC that the situation in the Gaza Strip is unlike anything we have ever seen before.
Two million people are being choked or suffocated. Very little help is being given to Gaza from outsiders and it is causing a lot of suffering.
Israel started a bombing mission in Gaza, stopped the supply of electricity and most water, and blocked the delivery of food, fuel, and other items. They did this in response to an attack by Hamas on October 7th, where at least 1,400 people died and 224 were taken as hostages.
Gaza’s health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, says that more than 7,000 people have died in Gaza since then. The health system is in a very bad state, with about one third of hospitals not working properly and the rest only able to help with emergency situations.
Since Saturday, at least 74 trucks carrying food, water, and medical supplies have entered Egypt through the Rafah border crossing. However,Touma believes that this is a small amount compared to the huge demand for these essentials. Before the war, around 500 trucks were permitted to enter Gaza each day.
MsTouma said that Unrwa urgently needs fuel to keep helping the 629,000 displaced people living in its facilities. Many people in the northern part of Gaza had to leave their homes because the Israeli military said it was safer for them to do so.
We are the biggest group that helps people in need, and we are about to stop doing our work. We are not allowed to do what the UN General Assembly told us to do. All we want is to be able to do our work, she said.
Israel is not letting fuel deliveries enter because they think it might be used by Hamas for their military activities. Israel sees Hamas as a terrorist group, and so do the UK, US, and some other powerful countries.The Israeli military spokesperson, Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, said in a video on a social media website named X that they don’t want the hospitals or all of Gaza to run out of fuel.
But he suggested that Unrwa should ask Hamas to give them some of the large amount of fuel that the military says is being kept in tanks near the border with Egypt.
“He said there is plenty for hospitals and water pumps to operate for several days. ” The main things that are important are not the same. Hamas wants to keep all the fuel for their ability to fight in wars, which means normal people won’t have any fuel for themselves.
When asked about the claim, the UN’s regional humanitarian chief, Lynn Hastings, said to the BBC that they do not have any information about Hamas having access to any other fuel.
I understand that Israelis are worried about this, and it’s justified. We are trying to talk to the Israelis about getting enough fuel for the humanitarian work.
Ms Hastings said that if Gaza’s hospitals don’t have fuel for their back-up generators, they won’t be able to take care of around 1,000 patients who need kidney dialysis treatment, 130 premature babies who are in incubators, and patients in intensive care who need ventilators.
Gaza’s water desalination and pumping stations would stop working too.
Right now, there is not much clean water for drinking. So, people have to drink dirty or salty water, or sometimes both.
This means that when there is no electricity, the sanitation system gets clogged because it can’t pump sewage into the sea. We expect sewage to flow onto the streets very soon.
Ms Hastings also said in another statement that the Israeli military was still telling people in Gaza City to leave even though they had nowhere to go or couldn’t move.
She cautioned that when the roads for leaving are attacked, when people in both the north and south are involved in fighting, when there is not enough of what is necessary to stay alive, and when there is no guarantee of being able to come back, people are left with very difficult decisions.
On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said that Hamas is using civilians to protect themselves and preventing them from leaving south.
The statement said that in the past, they have used different ways to accomplish their goals, such as setting up roadblocks. -
700 Gazans killed in single day – Palestinian officials
The main United Nations group working in Gaza will have to stop its work soon because it doesn’t have enough fuel. This will make the humanitarian crisis worse. According to Palestinian officials, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have already killed over 700 people in just 24 hours.
Fuel supplies that are necessary to keep hospitals, pumps, and desalination systems running, as well as to power bakeries, are almost finished. In response, the UN Secretary General has asked for a ceasefire to happen right away on Tuesday. This has caused a strong disagreement among members of the United Nations, and Israel is calling for the UN Secretary General to step down.
Doctors in hospitals that are extremely busy and about to close have continuously warned that if they don’t receive fuel, many new patients injured by the bombs and babies relying on oxygen will die.
The worsening health situation, lack of cleanliness, and drinking of unclean, salty water are causing concerns of a health emergency where people could die from lack of fluids as the water system breaks down while bombs continue to fall.
UNRWA said on social media that if we don’t get fuel soon, we will have to stop our operations in #GazaStrip starting tomorrow night. According to Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for UNRWA, Gaza requires a minimum of 160,000 liters (42,267 gallons) of fuel each day for basic needs.
Only 8 out of the 20 aid trucks that were supposed to go to Gaza on Tuesday actually went there, according to UNRWA. There is no clear explanation for why the other 12 trucks couldn’t pass through the Rafah crossing.
According to the World Health Organization, six hospitals in Gaza have had to shut down because they ran out of fuel. This happened because of the Israeli siege that began two weeks ago.
The World Health Organization said that there are 1,000 patients who rely on dialysis, 130 premature babies, and other patients who need electricity to survive. These people are at risk of dying or having medical problems if there is no stable and continuous supply of electricity.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that they will not allow any fuel to enter Gaza. They believe that Hamas will use the fuel for their own needs, like running their systems and carrying out rocket attacks.
The comments contradicted what the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. General Herzi Halevi said that they will ensure that there is enough fuel in the places where it is needed to help treat civilians. We won’t give Hamas any fuel to keep fighting against the people of Israel.
Israel’s leaders have promised to destroy Hamas after their deadly attacks on October 7. During these attacks, 1,400 people, mostly innocent civilians, were killed, and over 200 were kidnapped.
Over 700 people were killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours, which is the highest number in a single day since Israeli attacks on what they called Hamas targets started two and a half weeks ago. This information was shared by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah on Tuesday.
According to the ministry, the people who died were 305 children, 173 women, and 78 elderly individuals.
Around 2 million people, including many children, live in the small coastal strip of Gaza which is only 140 square miles.
Strong feelings were experienced at the UN Security Council on Tuesday when Secretary General António Guterres asked for an immediate stop to fighting in order to protect the wellbeing of people in Gaza. He pointed out that there have been clear disobediences to the rules of humanitarian law.
“According to Guterres, protecting civilians should not involve forcing more than one million people to leave their homes and go to the southern region where there is no place to stay, no food, no water, no medicine, and no fuel. The bombing of the same southern region should also not continue. ”
“It is important to understand that the attacks by Hamas were not isolated incidents,” said Guterres. They have watched their land being taken, their economy being hindered, their people being forced to move, and their homes being destroyed.
He said that the killing and kidnapping done by Hamas on October 7 was very bad, but it doesn’t make it right to punish all the Palestinian people for it. Even in war, there are rules to follow.
The Israeli diplomats quickly reacted in a negative way.
The Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, asked Guterres to step down right away because of his comments. Erdan also said that Guterres is not suitable to lead the United Nations. He shared this message on social media. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who was at the United Nations on Tuesday, said he would not have a meeting with Guterres and that he does not agree with a fair and unbiased approach.
“Cohen wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Hamas should be completely eliminated from the world. ”The situation in Gaza is getting worse and it’s difficult for countries around the world to agree on what to do.
The US has rejected requests for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, told CNN that before a ceasefire can be considered, Hamas needs to release the hostages they are holding in Gaza.
Ongoing discussions are happening to try and free many people who are being kept captive by Hamas in Gaza. CNN reported on Tuesday that the discussions are being made difficult because of various reasons.
The United States, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas are having ongoing discussions. Four people who were being held captive have been released. Two of them are from the United States and the other two are from Israel. But now, the goal is to agree on a plan to free a larger number of hostages all at the same time.
Israel has decided not to go into Gaza on foot yet, and the US has asked Israel to wait longer before taking action, so that more people held captive by Hamas can be set free.
Foreign Minister Cohen said outside the United Nations on Tuesday that Israel is determined to bring the hostages back home.
Cohen said that there are babies, twins, and holocaust survivors who are trapped, and our main goal is to bring them back home.
The US military advisers have told Israelis to not have a big ground attack in Gaza. They are also telling Israel to not fight in the cities like they did in Iraq. They want to prevent Israel from being stuck in bloody fighting in each house.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to soldiers on Tuesday and indicated that a ground operation was still planned. He stated that they are entering the next stage, which is imminent. -
Gaza needs 100 trucks of aid per day – UN humanitarian chief
Aid organizations state that Gaza requires much more assistance than the first 20 trucks mentioned by US President Biden after his recent trip to Israel.
The UN’s head of humanitarian efforts, Martin Griffiths, says that about 100 large trucks will be needed each day.
Egypt has said they will open the border between Egypt and Gaza so that deliveries can happen, but it is taking some time to get everything ready.
The Egyptian president, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, is going to meet with King Abdullah of Jordan today to discuss providing help to Palestinians.
Both Egypt and Jordan have been friendly with Israel for a long time and have helped solve problems between them in the past. -
Ethiopia dismisses UN’s ‘reckless’ genocide warning
The Ethiopian government called the statement by the UN’s special adviser on the prevention of genocide “irresponsible and reckless” and does not agree with it.
Alice Wairimu Nderitu said on Tuesday that there is a greater chance of a genocide happening in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian government is sorry that a UN adviser made a statement about the situation in Ethiopia that was not responsible or careful. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared this on Facebook as a response.
“It said that the special adviser used the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia [I CHREE] to make harmful comments about Ethiopia. “
I CHREE was created by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2021 to look in to claims of wrongdoing in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. In September, a report was published that detailed crimes committed by every one involved in the two-year conflict, which ended in November.
Another report said that there were still ongoing serious violations happening in Tigray and other parts of Ethiopia.
Global human rights groups wanted I CHREE to keep investigating and expand its work, but the time to extend its authority ran out last week. -
Peacekeepers removed off duty over DR Congo sex assault allegations
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced the suspension of some of its peacekeepers due to reports of significant misconduct.
The mission emphasizes its policy of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse.
According to AFP news agency, the allegations involve eight South African peacekeepers. The Monusco mission has previously faced accusations of sexual abuse.
It maintains a force of over 14,000 troops stationed in eastern DR Congo.
In recent years, there have been multiple protests against the UN, with critics accusing it of failing to adequately protect civilians from attacks by various armed groups.
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Russia fails to reapply to UN Human Rights Council
Russia did not win the election to stay on the UN’s human rights council.
The country was kicked out of the important organization for protecting people’s rights last April because they sent their troops to invade Ukraine.
They expected that getting a new three-year term would make clear the differences of opinions among UN member states on whether to continue supporting Ukraine or not.
But Bulgaria and Albania got the two seats that were meant for Eastern European countries instead.
The vote happened a few days after a Russian missile attack that caused the death of 52 individuals in a village called Hroza in northeastern Ukraine.
Russia got 83 votes from the UN’s general assembly members. Bulgaria got 160 votes, and Albania got 123 votes.
Before, the ambassador of Albania, Ferit Hoxha, had stated that it was crucial for member countries to demonstrate that they were not willing to accept someone who starts fires as a firefighter.
Russia said it would find suitable answers for human rights problems and wanted to prevent the organization from being controlled by a certain group of countries, likely referring to the West.
Diplomats said they want to regain some international trust after being accused of violating rights in Ukraine and their own country.
Russia believed that it would gain support from many countries, especially those that are still developing, in a confidential voting process. It suggested that these countries privately agreed with Russia but did not express it openly in order to avoid upsetting Western countries.
According to reports, Russia has been actively trying to persuade smaller countries by giving them grain and weapons in exchange for their votes.
The Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said that the United States is trying to prevent Russia from rejoining the council.
In April 2022, the state was kicked out of the human rights council. 93 UN general assembly members voted in favor of the suspension, 24 voted against, and 58 chose not to vote.
The council will be made up of these countries starting in 2024 for three years: Albania, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, China, the Ivory Coast, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malawi, and the Netherlands. -
123,000 people have fled Gaza’s homes over destruction and terror – UN
The United Nations says that 123,538 people in Gaza had to leave their homes and stay within Gaza because they were afraid, needed protection, or their houses were destroyed.
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 73,000 people are currently staying in schools for shelter.
Adnan Abu Hasna, who speaks on behalf of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), believes that the number of refugees will increase.
“He says that we give power to these schools, we give them food, clean water, help with feelings, and medical care. ”
In Gaza, there are 2. 3 million Palestinian people. Israel told people in certain areas to leave before they attacked with air strikes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that he is warning the people of Gaza to leave immediately, as they are preparing to take action with full force in all areas. -
United States providing food aid for Ethiopian refugees again
The United States has declared the resumption of food aid deliveries for refugees in Ethiopia, ending a five-month suspension. This decision followed the agreement of Ethiopian authorities in Addis Ababa to withdraw from the distribution of these supplies.
In May, Washington halted aid distribution, following a similar action by the UN, citing evidence of “widespread and coordinated” food aid theft.
The Ethiopian government introduced reforms, leading to the reinstatement of aid, which included strengthening monitoring, oversight, and enhancing commodity tracking, according to a statement by USAid. Ethiopia has also “transferred responsibility” for the dispatch and warehousing of food aid.
The resumption of aid will benefit hundreds of thousands of refugees currently residing in Ethiopia, primarily from neighboring countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea.
However, the pause on food aid for around 20 million Ethiopians in dire need of humanitarian assistance remains in effect.
Officials in the conflict-affected Tigray region had previously reported to the BBC that at least 1,400 people had died of starvation in the region since the aid suspension, while in the neighboring Amhara region, where recent conflicts are compounded by drought, many have perished due to the lack of food aid.
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Increased violence and violations of rights in Ethiopia – UN
A recent report from the United Nations cautions that there is a high possibility of worsening security and human rights abuses in Ethiopia. This is concerning because violence is still happening despite a peace agreement agreed upon by the government and Tigrayan forces almost a year ago.
The report from the UN’s International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) states that most of the factors that increase the risk of future mass crimes are present in the second-most populated country in Africa.
A new report says that war crimes have been happening in Ethiopia since the start of the conflict in Tigray in 2020. This comes after another report released last month by the commission also said the same thing.
Ongoing serious violations, widespread violence, and strong impunity indicate that there is a high chance of more terrible crimes happening, as stated in the commission’s most recent assessment.
On Tuesday, a report mentioned that there are still “serious violations” happening in Tigray. The commission found evidence of human rights violations and international crimes in Oromia, Amhara, and Afar. They are also worried about recent reports of unlawful killings and large-scale arrests in Amhara.
The UN commission is set to finish its work by the end of this month.
Rights groups want it to continue, but the authorities in Addis Ababa want it to end and say the country can handle its own investigations into allegations of abuse. -
Foreign forces authorised to enter Haiti by UN Security Council
The United Nations Security Council has approved sending a group of international forces with weapons to Haiti. This is because Haiti is dealing with a lot of gang violence and a situation where the government cannot make decisions.
The Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, has repeatedly asked for military help, and now a decision has been made to provide this assistance. The United Nations leader and the United States both strongly ask the global community for support with this mission.
Thirteen people in the council voted “yes” to the resolution, but Russia and China didn’t vote either way.
Even though the strong UN Security Council approved it, the force would not officially be controlled by the UN. Kenya has promised to contribute 1000 police officers to lead the mission. Some of the countries near Haiti, like Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica, have also agreed to help with the mission.
The “multinational security support” force will stay in Haiti for one year. We don’t know when it will arrive yet and more countries have been asked to join. The resolution also asks for a worldwide halt in selling weapons to Haiti, except for specific security reasons that are approved.
An advisor to the Haitian Prime Minister, Jean-Junior Joseph, said to CNN that the government is happy about the vote. He also mentioned that they are eager for the mission to fight against overall insecurity.
Fighting gangs are in charge of a big part of Port-au-Prince, which is the main city and port of Haiti. This is causing problems because they are blocking important ways to bring supplies to the rest of the country. Gang members have made the people in the city very scared. This has caused about 200,000 people to leave their homes because of the bad things the gang members are doing, like killing, kidnapping, setting things on fire, and hurting people.
The mission is expected to make local security stronger and help the Haitian National Police fight against the gangs. Haiti’s security forces get help from other countries, but they don’t have enough staff or weapons to effectively do their job.
Addressing the gathering of leaders from countries around the world at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September Prime Minister Henry told other countries that it was really important that the Security Council gives approval for a military mission to bring back calm and order. Henry said that violence has made the situation worse in the country. He also mentioned that inflation is very high, with prices going up by more than 50%. As a result, 4. 9 million Haitians are finding it difficult to afford food, which is a new and disappointing record for the country.
In a statement on the same day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked for help from other countries to support the plan and provide assistance. He said that the US is willing to give strong financial and logistical support.
The Security Council has been stuck in a situation where no decisions can be made because of growing disagreements between different countries. The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that the decision on Haiti made on Monday was very important and showed that the UN can bring people together to take action.
China’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun said that China has a careful and responsible approach when it comes to using force. In the case of Haiti, China’s decision to abstain from the vote on authorizing the use of force is seen as a positive and helpful stance.
Russia’s representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, criticized the decision to send another country’s armed forces to a different country, even if it is requested by that country. He said this is a serious action that needs to be carefully considered. However, he also mentioned that there are some good parts to the approved resolution.
Both Russia and China said they are okay with the resolution’s ban on weapons.
People that disagree with the mission have said that bad things have happened before with UN peacekeeping missions in Haiti. There were accusations that some peacekeepers did bad things and that they brought a sickness called cholera that killed a lot of people. Some Haitians are unsure about Prime Minister Henry, who became the leader of the country when President Jovenel Moise was killed in 2021.
Henry stated that Haiti cannot hold elections until the country becomes more secure.
The United Nations’ representative in Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, said that her office will help with the mission, as long as it follows the rules. She also made it clear that this mission is different from other missions in Haiti and is not run by the UN. -
UN advises Kenya on job opportunities in solar power business
A greater investment in skill development in solar market technology, according to a United Nations organization, might help create jobs in nations such as Kenya through collaborations with multinational businesses that control the industry.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has urged governments to create skills that will enable young people to find work and to promote local enterprises’ participation in solar panel supply chains.
“Growth in the solar panel market provides a vast opportunity for the economy through private sector development and job creation. However, much of the market is held by internationally owned companies,” UNCTAD said in a new report.
“Most domestic companies operate in services, offering project-development services, consultancy, and after-sales services.”
A greater investment in skill development in solar market technology, according to a United Nations organization, might help create jobs in nations such as Kenya through collaborations with multinational businesses that control the industry.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has urged governments to create skills that will enable young people to find work and to promote local enterprises’ participation in solar panel supply chains.
“Future expansion in industrial parks promises to grow business opportunities for domestic companies and employment in the solar panel supply chain,” UNCTAD states.
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Russia to return to UN Human Rights Council
Russia wants to become a member of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council again. They were suspended from the council because they invaded Ukraine.
The country is being considered by the United Nations for a position on the council for the years 2024-2026. A vote to decide will happen on October 10.
If anyone tries to let Russia join again, the West will be very angry. Many NATO countries have said over and over again that Russia’s invasion of another country was unlawful, and because of that, Russia should not be allowed to be a member of international organizations.
Russia has been accused of a lot of human rights violations during its war in Ukraine. The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for President Vladimir Putin‘s arrest because he is accused of trying to take Ukrainian children to Russia.
Russia believes that the Human Rights Council is an important part of the United Nations.
Russia wrote a position paper that it is sharing with members of the United Nations to try to get their support. The paper says that Russia thinks it’s necessary to stop the growing trend of using the Human Rights Council for political purposes. They believe this council should not punish governments that are not loyal and have their own policies.
In April 2022, Russia was kicked out of the organization, after they fully attacked Ukraine. Membership of the council is decided by making sure each region has a fair representation. Right now, there are two empty seats in the Eastern European States group. Russia, Albania, and Bulgaria have officially said they want to be considered for that area.
Russia’s statement said that if they are elected again, they will work hard to promote cooperation and respectful conversations.
Western countries are likely to strongly disagree with or oppose the application before October’s vote.
A group of people who focus on human rights said that Russian forces are doing bad things in Ukraine. They are accusing them of doing things like hurting people, using explosives in ways that are against the law, and attacking important things like energy systems. These actions are considered crimes in times of war.
During the April 2022 UN General Assembly, many countries voted on whether to suspend Russia from the council. 93 countries were in favor of removing Russia, 24 countries were against it, and 58 countries chose not to vote.
China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria, and Vietnam, along with Russia, were against the decision. Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia chose not to take a side.
Russia became a member of the council in January 2021. It was chosen along with 14 other countries to stay on the council for three years.
It was the first country to be kicked out of the council since Libya in 2011. This happened because its leader at the time, Muammar Gaddafi, suppressed people who were protesting against the government.
Russia is one of the five permanent members of the UN’s Security Council. There are no clear rules to take Russia off this position.
Moscow was last in charge of that council in April. The presidency of the council changes every month and there are 15 members. -
Turkish President hails UN for responding to earthquake
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is speaking at the moment. He expressed gratitude to the gathered world leaders for their support after the earthquake earlier this year.
Erdogan said that we cannot forget how sincerely the international community responded to our request for help, and that it was impossible to forget their quick response.
They are currently working to rebuild the cities that were destroyed by the earthquake. -
United Nations issue alert over potential disease outbreak after flood in Libya
The UN has warned that people in eastern Libya who were affected by flooding are at a high risk of getting sick due to polluted water and a lack of proper sanitation.
Teams from nine United Nations (UN) agencies are providing help to people in need. They are giving emergency medical supplies that can support 15,000 individuals for three months.
Last week, during a strong storm, two dams near Derna broke and caused the death of many people.
The UN says that 11,300 people have died and over 10,000 are still missing.
The United Nations in Libya is working with Libyan authorities and other countries to make sure that the correct help is given to the right people, at the correct moment. -
The world spend $423 billion on invasive species annually – UN report
Invasive species cause a lot of problems around the world. They make plants and animals disappear, make it harder to have enough food, and make environmental disasters worse. A new report supported by the United Nations found that this costs at least $423 billion every year.
Human actions, such as travel and global trade, are causing animals, plants, and other organisms to move to new areas faster than ever before. Scientists have observed that around 200 new species that are not native to an area are being discovered every year.
Out of the 37,000 alien species that have been brought to different parts of the world, 3,500 are harmful and pose a serious danger to the planet. They harm crops, kill native species, pollute water, spread diseases, and create conditions for devastating natural disasters.
Experts suggest that the worldwide economic impact has been extremely high, increasing by at least four times every ten years since 1970.
Ecologist Helen Roy, who helped create the UN report, says the number mentioned is a very low estimate and there are many more species at risk.
The scientists say that if nothing is done to stop them from spreading and causing harm, the number of invasive species worldwide will be 33% more in 2050 compared to 2005.
We understand that things are changing. We are aware that climate change is getting worse, we know that the way we use land and sea is also getting worse, so we expect that the problem with invasive alien species will also get worse.
Alien species are living things that humans have moved to new places. They can be plants, animals, or other organisms.
An invasive alien species is when it moves to a new area and causes problems for the plants, animals, and environment there, as well as for the people who live there.
Many things are happening where water hyacinths are blocking up lakes and rivers in Africa. Lion fish are affecting local fisheries in the Caribbean. On Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, the Giant African land snail is taking over villages.
However, brown tree snakes have killed all the birds on the Pacific island of Guam and the fast-spreading zebra mussel has taken over the Great Lakes in North America.
In other places, mosquitoes are carrying and spreading illnesses such as dengue, Zika, malaria, and West Nile Virus to different areas.
Peter Stoett, who is a co-author of the report and also the dean of the faculty of social sciences and humanities at Ontario Tech University, said that we should not ignore how big of an impact some alien invasive species have.
Invasive species spreading to different countries and continents is causing a big problem – it is leading to a loss of biodiversity. This means that the diverse range of plants, animals, and environments that we rely on are getting worse. The report also found that invasive species are responsible for 60% of all known global extinctions.
When a type of foreign plant or animal successfully settles in a new environment, it can cause major problems.
The dry non-native grasses and shrubs in Hawaii were a major factor in causing the dangerous Maui wildfire last month, which was one of the deadliest in recent US history.
Anibal Pauchard, a professor at Chile’s Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, stated that viewing biological invasions as someone else’s problem would be a very expensive mistake.
Even though different species cause problems in different areas, there are risks and challenges that affect people all over the world, regardless of their background or where they live. This includes even Antarctica.
In these pictures, you can see invasive species from different parts of the world.
Along with harmful species that take over new environments, other important causes of the decline of different species and plants include destroying land and water homes, using organisms excessively, climate change, and pollution.
The report stated that the climate crisis will make the problem of invasive species worse. This means that these species will spread and live in new areas more easily.
In addition to flammable invasive plants causing wildfires, climate change is allowing invasive species to move to new areas like mountains, deserts, and frozen tundra.
But we can still be optimistic. The scientists believe that people can prevent invasive species from spreading. What is most important is to focus on preventing problems, especially when it comes to marine systems, according to Stoett.
The report says that the best way to deal with dangers from invasive species is to stop them from coming into new places. This means that there are rules in place to control what is brought into a country, and there are systems in place to quickly recognize and deal with new species before they can settle and cause harm.According to the report, getting rid of invasive species has been helpful in controlling them, especially on islands.
“One of the main points made in the report is that we can make significant progress in dealing with harmful species from other places,” said Stoett.
We need a specific and combined approach that considers the different countries and sectors involved in biosecurity, such as trade and transportation, human and plant health, and economic development. “This will greatly help nature and people in many ways. ”
Last year, governments from different countries agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The purpose of this agreement is to decrease the number of invasive alien species introduced and established by at least 50% by the year 2030.
The scientists have been working on their discoveries for four years. There are 86 experts on the team. They want these discoveries to help reach the global goals.
Pauchard said that governments worldwide strongly require this evaluation to take action in order to lessen the enormous danger to biodiversity and people. -
UN celebrates Kofi Annan five years on
In 2018, Ghana lost one of its most esteemed international diplomats in Geneva, Switzerland. This revered diplomat was none other than Kofi Annan.
Kofi Annan dedicated his life to serving the United Nations, and his journey within this global organization was nothing short of remarkable. He ascended through its ranks to ultimately hold the prestigious position of Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006.
During his tenure, Kofi Annan’s dedication and contributions to global peace and diplomacy were so profound that he was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize.
On the fifth anniversary of his passing, the United Nations community, led by its current Secretary-General, came together to reflect on the enduring values that Kofi Annan championed during his tenure as the world’s foremost diplomat.
The United Nations’ official social media accounts shared a wealth of content dedicated to Kofi Annan, including photographs, inspiring quotes, videos, and highlights of his remarkable achievements.
This commemoration served as a testament to his enduring legacy within the international community.
UN chief Antonio Guterres’ message read: “Friday marks five years since the passing of former @UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
“I was honoured to call Kofi Annan a mentor and proud to call him a friend. His legacy as a global champion for peace remains an inspiration in our lives and our work.”
Kofi Annan came into this world on April 8, 1938, in Kumasi, Ghana. He shared his life journey with his beloved wife, Nane, and together they had three children and were blessed with five grandchildren.
On August 18, 2018, at the age of 80, Kofi Annan passed away in a hospital in Bern, Switzerland, following a short illness. Remarkably, he remained engaged in the activities of his foundation until his untimely departure.
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Suspect in Rwandan massacre detained once more in South Africa
Fulgence Kayishema, a fugitive from justice from Rwanda who had been held in South Africa, was apprehended once more on a warrant for his extradition to Arusha, Tanzania, where he would face a genocide prosecution.
His attorneys appear to have been taken off guard by the most recent developments, which were requested by the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.
He was taken into custody earlier on Tuesday while being held in the high court’s holding area in Cape Town.
The tribunal wants him to respond to allegations that he planned the death of over 2,000 Tutsi refugees in Rwanda at a Catholic church during the 1994 genocide.
After being located at a wine vineyard in Paarl, in the Western Cape region, Mr. Kayishema is already detained in South Africa. He was initially detained for breaking the nation’s immigration restrictions.
Investigators in South Africa claimed that since his entrance in the country in 2000, he has been residing there using a fictitious name.
He is charged with crimes against humanity, involvement in genocide, and having a significant role in the 1994 genocide in his native Rwanda.
He gave up on his request for release during his most recent court appearance in June and declared that he will seek asylum in South Africa instead.
To give his attorneys and the regional prosecutors time to reply to the arrest and transfer order, the case against him has been continued until August 30.
Although he hasn’t yet entered a plea to the allegations brought against him, he has previously denied any involvement in the offences.
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Oil removed from abandoned ‘time bomb’ tanker off Yemen
Oil from a “floating time bomb” oil ship that was abandoned at sea in the Red Sea has been successfully removed, according to the UN.
After a battle broke out in Yemen in 2015, the ship was abandoned there with more than a million barrels of oil still inside.
The failing FSO Safer was anticipated to explode or disintegrate, resulting in a significant leak.
The UN declared that an environmental catastrophe had been avoided, but it is unclear how the sale of the oil will be agreed upon by the warring parties.
The international community, according to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, “defused a floating time bomb and prevented a potentially enormous environmental and health disaster.”
To secure the rotting ship and purchase another tanker to transport the recovered oil, the UN organised a $120 million (£95 million) fundraising effort.
The relocation in a body of water where naval mines were rumoured to be present took 18 days to complete.
When it was abandoned at sea in 1976, the FSO Safer was carrying more oil than was lost in the Exxon Valdez catastrophe of 1989.
It is anchored close to the Ras Isa oil port, which is under the opposition Houthi movement’s control in Yemen.
The gang is still engaged in combat with a Saudi-led coalition in a war that has left much of the nation in ruins.
The onerous work of decontaminating and scrapping the vessel is about to start, but it may be even more difficult to decide what will happen to the recovered oil, which is mostly controlled by the Yemeni state business SEPOC.
There is no agreement on how the proceeds from the sale of the oil will be distributed among the combatants.
Administrator of the UN’s development project Achim Steiner stated: “The best resolution to the story will be when that oil truly gets sold and completely departs the region.
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UN-Syria aid delivery agreement sparks alarm
After weeks of deadlock, the UN reports that an agreement has been reached with Syria to reopen the only crossing for UN relief deliveries to the rebel-held northwest of the country.
For 4.1 million aid-dependent individuals, the route from Turkey is a lifeline.
Uncertainty about the agreement’s conditions has led relief organisations to express concern that Syria may now try to control how food and medicine are distributed.
Syria had previously been denied any input into the procedure. It had vehemently protested the UN-approved activities through the Bab al-Hawa transit point, calling them a breach of its sovereignty, along with its ally Russia.
“We are concerned that the removal of certainty and security provided by Security Council authorisation will impact on the ability of humanitarian organisations, and particularly Syrian NGOs, to operate effectively,” warned international assistance agency the International Rescue Committee.
The agreement, according to the UN, would keep the bridge open for the ensuing six months. Following a disagreement between Russia and other security council members tasked with approving their continuation, operations had been terminated one month earlier.
Since a devastating earthquake that killed more than 4,500 people and uprooted 50,000 families in north-western Syria in February, Bab al-Hawa has assumed an even greater role as a distribution point for relief.
The UN reported that Syria has also consented to enable it to use two extra border crossings that had been opened with the Syrian government’s permission following the earthquake for an additional three months. The two crossings’ authorization was set to expire on Sunday.
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UN human rights office shuts in Uganda
The UN’s human rights mission in Kampala will be closing after 18 years of operation, as the Ugandan government has terminated its mandate.
The sub-offices in Gulu and Moroto have already been shut down in northern Uganda.
This decision comes in the wake of Uganda passing some of the world’s toughest anti-LGBT laws, disregarding advice from local and international human rights organizations, including the UN.
In response, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, released a statement on Friday, urging the government to ensure the effective and independent functioning of Uganda’s national human rights body, which is tasked with overseeing human rights in the country.
Mr. Türk expressed concern over the continued closure of the majority of 54 NGOs that were arbitrarily suspended in 2021, as well as the potential further restrictions on free expression due to Uganda’s amended computer misuse law.
Moreover, he raised deep concern about the situation leading up to the 2026 elections, stating that human rights defenders, civil society members, and journalists in Uganda are facing an increasingly hostile environment.
“In the year under review, the company achieved sales of 348 tonnes of coffee compared with 185 tonnes in March 2022,” said the firm.
“The increase was mainly attributed to the favourable weather experienced in the year which enhanced bean development.”
Recently, the coffee sector in Kenya has come to a standstill as the government suspended coffee trading licenses for all traders in an effort to address the issue of cartels. As a result, the auction at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) has been inactive for over four weeks, leaving farmers burdened with unsold coffee beans.
Farmers are becoming increasingly concerned about the accumulation of stockpiles, fearing that when trading eventually resumes, the excess supply will lead to a sharp drop in prices, potentially resulting in financial losses for them.
The halt in coffee trading is not only impacting the farmers but also affecting the government, as coffee exports constitute a significant source of foreign exchange. At a time when the country is facing a rising import bill and increasing foreign debt payment obligations, the suspension poses challenges to the nation’s financial stability.
“The government had promised to extend existing marketing and brokerage permits by three months up to September through a gazette notice but that hasn’t happened,” an industry source told Nation last week.
Explaining its decision to end the mandate of the UN’s human rights office earlier this year, Uganda’s foreign ministry assured the UN of its “commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights”, and the presence of “strong national human rights institutions and a vibrant civil society”.
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UN suggests South Sudan unprepared for elections
The UN mission in South Sudan has issued a warning, stating that the country is not adequately prepared to hold elections next year.
Originally scheduled for December 2024, these elections would mark the first democratic exercise in the world’s newest country, which gained independence from Sudan 12 years ago.
The prolonged and devastating civil war, along with a challenging peace process, has caused significant delays in conducting these crucial polls.
According to Nicholas Haysom, the head of the UN mission, analysts believe that South Sudan has not yet put in place the required infrastructure necessary for conducting fair and credible elections.
The current situation in the war-torn country raises concerns about the feasibility of holding elections as planned.
The candid and honest observation of most analysts, observers and stakeholders, is that as it stands today, South Sudan is not yet ready for elections. But that elections could be held on schedule if there is adequate political will, a practical approach to the arrangements and commensurate resources are applied to achieving the benchmarks and the roadmap.”
He further cautioned:
“I don’t think the elections will have the effect they should have if they are not transparent, if they are not free and they are not fair.”
“I don’t think the elections will have the effect they should have if they are not transparent, if they are not free and they are not fair.”
“Quote Message: “Then, simply, they will provide a basis for more conflict. It’s really important that we establish proper foundations for the elections.”
“Then, simply, they will provide a basis for more conflict. It’s really important that we establish proper foundations for the elections.”
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Gender Ministry to revise PWDs Act
The Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Ms. Lariba Zuweria Abudu, on Tuesday, August 2, announced that the Ministry is currently in the process of amending the Persons with Disability Act 2006 (Act 715) to align it with the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The main goal of this amendment is to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for individuals with disabilities. These rights encompass education, health, employment, and accessible transportation.
One of the key proposals in the reviewed Act is to grant tax exemptions to employers who hire persons with disabilities and provide training opportunities for unemployed PWDs. This measure aims to increase the employment rate of disabled individuals and create more inclusive workplaces.
Ms. Abudu made this statement during her parliamentary session, responding to a question raised by Mr. Mohmmed Adamu Ramadan, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Adentan, on behalf of Mr. Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, the NDC MP for Madina.
Mr. Adamu Ramadan inquired about the strategies in place to enhance the employment of PWDs in line with Sustainable Development Goals Eight and 10.
The Ministry has also collaborated in the development of the Employment Equity Policy by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.
The aim of this policy is to foster equitable employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, particularly in the public service and the broader labor market.
Sustainable Development Goal Eight focuses on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
On the other hand, Goal 10 aims to reduce inequalities in income and opportunities based on factors such as age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic status within a country. It also addresses inequalities among countries, including representation, migration, and development assistance.
These Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 interconnected objectives introduced by the UN in 2015 as a universal blueprint for fostering peace and prosperity for people and the planet, both now and in the future.
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Russian drones strike grain store in Ukraine near Romania
A short distance from NATO member Romania, in Izmail on the Danube, a Russian drone strike struck Ukrainian port facilities.
Damage has been done to a grain elevator, a passenger facility and a grain warehouse.
After pulling out of a UN agreement that allowed both countries to move grain securely across the Black Sea, Russia started attacking Ukrainian ports.
Early on Wednesday, a sizable fire erupted from Izmail’s port area.
The size of the fire could be seen in video taken from the Romanian bank of the Danube, which was around 3 km (1.9 miles) distant.
The ongoing Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure “close to Romania,” according to Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, are unacceptable.
Russian drones were reportedly moving towards the Danube river, where Ukraine has two ports, Izmail and Reni, according to the air force of Ukraine.
According to Ukraine’s military command in the south, air defences have been in operation for about three hours.
Oleh Kiper, the regional governor of Odesa, reported that emergency personnel were on the scene of the most recent Russian attack and that no casualties had been reported.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president, stated that “unfortunately there has been damage,” and the regional administrator shared several pictures on social media that showed that multiple buildings had been affected.
The Izmail prosecutor has opened an investigation into a freight terminal, a warehouse and a lift that were all destroyed, without specifying precisely where in the Odesa region, according to officials and the Ukrainian army ministry.
Russian drones also targeted grain storage facilities in Reni, which is located further up the Danube and close to Romanian territory, last week.
The attacks that were so close to Romania, according to President Iohannis, were war crimes that further harmed Ukraine’s “ability to transfer their food products towards those in need in the world.”
Earlier, Russia bombed the significant Black Sea ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, destroying 60,000 tonnes of grain, according to the authorities.
Russia effectively imposed a naval blockade when it abandoned the grain agreement in July by threatening to strike any ships en route to Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s ports on the Danube have continued to be reached by ships travelling through the Black Sea, albeit this alternate route has gained prominence.
Wheat and maize are two commodities that Ukraine exports in large quantities to other countries, and the majority of the shipments had been coming from ports along the Black Sea. For Ukraine’s exports, the Danube becomes crucial if the Black Sea is closed to ships.
In the immediate aftermath of Russia’s withdrawal from the grain agreement, wheat prices skyrocketed on global markets.
Global food security is becoming a worry, particularly for underdeveloped Asian and African countries.
According to local officials, Russia also launched more than 10 drones overnight on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
Anti-aircraft systems destroyed all of the projectiles, but according to the officials, falling debris damaged a number of non-residential buildings.
Russia has not made any official comments about the alleged strikes to date.