TIG Post

Tag: United Nations

  • Kofi Kinaata delivers a compelling speech at UN, highlights on his IOM Ghana Goodwill Ambassador role

    Kofi Kinaata delivers a compelling speech at UN, highlights on his IOM Ghana Goodwill Ambassador role

    At the ongoing ‘International Dialogue on Migration’ at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, renowned Ghanaian musician Kofi Kinaata delivered a compelling speech to high-level delegates from around the world.

    Kinaata reflected on his journey as the Goodwill Ambassador of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ghana, a role he has passionately embraced since 2017. He shared what motivated him to accept the ambassadorial position, highlighting the significant influence of IOM’s work.

    “IOM has helped a lot of returnees. They always end their stories by saying ‘IOM reintegrated me, IOM helped me to come back,’ so when I was contacted by IOM in 2017, I immediately accepted the offer,” he recounted.

    His words underscored the deep impact of IOM’s initiatives on the lives of countless individuals who have been successfully reintegrated into their communities.

    The musician also opened up about the personal challenges he faces when writing songs about migration. He revealed that his conversations with returnees played a crucial role in shaping his understanding and empathy, allowing him to compose meaningful and impactful music.

    “Speaking to returnees helped me understand their experiences, which I then used to create songs that resonate with their stories,” he explained.

    In a poignant moment, Kinaata shared a personal anecdote, revealing that he could have easily fallen victim to the dangers of stowaways if not for his career in music. This revelation highlighted the precarious choices faced by many young people in search of better opportunities and underscored the importance of IOM’s mission.

    Kinaata’s speech was met with admiration and respect from the international delegation, many of whom recognized the power of music in raising awareness about migration issues. His dedication and efforts as a Goodwill Ambassador have significantly contributed to the ongoing dialogue on migration, making a profound impact both in Ghana and internationally.

    As a proud representative of Ghana, Kofi Kinaata continues to use his platform to advocate for the rights and well-being of migrants. His work exemplifies the transformative power of music and storytelling in fostering understanding and driving positive change.

    Known for songs like ‘No Place like Home,’ ‘Thy Grace,’ and the latest on his Kofi oo Kofi EP, ‘Saman,’ the multiple award-winner has demonstrated his commitment to addressing irregular migration.

  • Prof. Agyeman-Duah advocates for mandatory mental health assessments for aspiring high-ranking officials in Ghana

    Prof. Agyeman-Duah advocates for mandatory mental health assessments for aspiring high-ranking officials in Ghana

    Former senior advisor at the United Nations (U.N)  specializing in governance, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah has called for mandatory mental health assessments for prospective high-ranking officials in Ghana.

    He emphasised the crucial need to prioritise the mental well-being of potential officeholders, citing the significant impact their decisions can have on the nation.

    Referring to international norms, Prof. Agyeman-Duah urged Ghana to implement similar measures where mental health evaluations become a prerequisite for individuals seeking public office.

    He expressed concerns about whether such assessments have ever been conducted in Ghana for aspirants to public positions, highlighting the importance of scrutiny to avert potential risks to society.

    In an interview on Asaase Radio, Prof. Agyeman-Duah voiced his reservations regarding the ambitious campaign promises made by candidates vying for higher office ahead of the 2024 elections.

    He specifically mentioned a proposal by Presidential hopeful Nana Kwame Bediako, also known as Cheddar, who pledged to dredge the sea to Kumasi.

    Questioning the feasibility and credibility of such grand promises, Prof. Agyeman-Duah cautioned against the potential consequences of unrealistic commitments and stressed the necessity for thorough background assessments of individuals aspiring to leadership roles in the country.

    “As you know, on the campaign trail, people are making all kinds of promises, and somebody is even suggesting dredging the sea to somewhere up north. You wonder what their background or integrity is,” he remarked.
    Cheddar’s proposal aims to dredge the sea to Kumasi, believing it will facilitate ship docking in the city upon completion, thus boosting import and export activities in the Ashanti region.

  • Kofi Kinaata named UN-IOM Goodwill Ambassador

    Kofi Kinaata named UN-IOM Goodwill Ambassador

    Ghanaian music sensation, Martin King Arthur known professionally as Kofi Kinaata, has assumed the prestigious role of Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations International Organization for Migration (UN-IOM).

    The initiative, designed to harness the influence of prominent personalities, aims to bolster the organization’s mission by increasing visibility, amplifying messages, and fostering global collaboration.

    In an announcement by the Director General of IOM, Amy Pope, Kofi Kinaata was welcomed as the new Regional and National Goodwill Ambassador.

    Recognized as a trailblazer and an inspiration on a global scale, he is poised to play a pivotal role in advocating for well-managed migration and improving the lives of those on the move.

    This appointment is seen as a significant contribution to global efforts in addressing the challenges associated with migration.

    Joining Kofi Kinaata in this ambassadorial role is Ms. Abebrese, who has also been granted the opportunity to represent the United Nations International Organization for Migration, further strengthening the organization’s commitment to addressing migration issues on a broader scale.

    Below is the list Goodwill Ambassadors

    • Gold Medal Olympic Runner Mo Farah, appointed as Global Ambassador
    • Musician Dimash Qudaibergen, serving as Regional Ambassador
    • Actress and TV Presenter Ama K. Abebrese, honored as National Ambassador
    • Basketball Player Dzanan Musa, designated as National Ambassador
    • Musician Kofi Kinaata, recognized as National Ambassador
    • Football Club Club Atletico Penarol, appointed as National Ambassador
    • Football Player Mouctar Diakhaby, appointed as National Ambassador
    • National Geographic Explorer Nicolas Marin Benitez, appointed as National Ambassador
    • Entrepreneur Mirela Sula, appointed as National Ambassador
    • Documentary Photographer Paul Choy, appointed as National Ambassador

    See post below:

    Amy Pope, the IOM Director General, expressed her enthusiasm in welcoming these exceptional individuals as the organization’s new Regional and National Goodwill Ambassadors, recognizing them as trailblazers and sources of inspiration worldwide.

    She emphasized their role in championing well-managed migration and improving the lives of people on the move.

  • Ama K. Abebrese lands brand ambassadorial deal with United Nations organization

    Ghanaian actress Ama K. Abebrese has inked a significant brand ambassadorial deal with a branch of the global United Nations, specifically the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

    Abebrese shared the exciting news on her Instagram account on Thursday, February 15th, 2024, expressing her commitment to promoting safe and lawful migration, drawing on her experiences as a diasporan who has lived in both Ghana and the UK.

    She captioned her post: “As a diasporan having lived between Ghana and the UK, I understand why many people choose to migrate. I encourage everyone to do this safely and through the right channels,” Ama K. Abebresese stated.

    See post below:

    The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is part of the United Nations System as the leading inter-governmental organization promoting since 1951 humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all, with 175 member states and a presence in 171 countries.

  • Western Togoland unveils new taskforce to address voting irregularities and Human Rights violations

    Western Togoland unveils new taskforce to address voting irregularities and Human Rights violations

    The Western Togoland Governing Council and Defense Council have introduced a specialized task force to execute three pivotal assignments, marking a significant development in the region.

    In an official statement, the Council clarified that the task force, inaugurated on January 18, 2024, will undertake a campaign opposing voting in areas encompassed by Western Togoland, scrutinize and compile information on individuals assisting or cooperating with the Ghanaian government in the illegal apprehension and confinement of Western Togoland activists, and observe and document endorsements of the Ghanaian government’s actions.

    The leadership of the council has urged the public to stay away from any gatherings related to voting in Western Togoland.

    The move comes as the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has ruled against Ghana and demanded the release of Western Togoland activists, but the Ghanaian government has failed to comply.

    The task force’s actions are a response to what the council consider to be violations of human rights and a futureless Union with Ghana.

    Traditional rulers were also urged to be diligent in their dealings with the Western Togoland cause and not follow politicians who violate human rights.

  • GSS warns of high risk of missing health-related SDGs

    GSS warns of high risk of missing health-related SDGs

    The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has sounded a warning that without intensified efforts and increased investments, the nation is at risk of failing to attain health-related targets outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

    Samuel Kobina Annim, the Government Statistician, highlighted this concern during the presentation of the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) in Accra. Emphasizing the report’s findings, he underscored that meeting the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) two (zero hunger), three (good health and well-being), and five (gender equality) demands heightened efforts and increased resources.

    He emphasized that health improvements, viewed from access and behavior perspectives, constitute a shared responsibility between individuals and the state. Encouraging the government and relevant stakeholders to utilize insights from the survey for informed decision-making, he also highlighted the significance of acknowledging the role of an individual’s health behavior.

    He pointed out that concerning health-seeking behavior, approximately one-third (32.4 percent) of women aged 15 to 49 visited a health facility or health provider in the six months before the survey, whereas one-fifth of men in the same age range (20.4%) did the same.

    Giving further highlights of the survey, he indicated that there is evidence of retrogression for some health indicators over time – citing that childhood vaccination coverage remains lower than in previous surveys.  Currently, 75 percent of children are vaccinated against all basic antigens, which is a decrease from 79 percent in the 2008 GDHS.

    The 2022 GDHS also shows a slight increase in the percentage of children with no vaccinations, from 1 percent in the 2008 GDHS to 2 percent in 2022. Sexual violence increased by 1.1 percentage points between 2008 and 2022.

    Also, regional variations are stark across several health indicators, as childhood mortality rates by region vary in range considerably. For instance, regions with the highest under-5 mortality rates for the ten-year period before the surveys are Oti and Savannah – 72 and 63 deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively; while Ahafo and Greater Accra Regions have the lowest under-5 mortality rates – 29 and 20 deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively.

    The report further shows that health and education remain key drivers in addressing health challenges at the individual level. Health indicators that increase with the maternal education and household wealth quintile are malaria and stunting in children under 5 years; while, conversely, obesity increases with education and wealth.

  • UN searches for new humanitarian entry point into Sudan

    UN searches for new humanitarian entry point into Sudan

    The United Nations is thinking about sending help to Sudan through a different path from South Sudan because they are having trouble reaching many areas of the country.

    Rick Brennan, from the World Health Organisation (WHO), said they were planning to set up operations that would go across the borders from South Sudan into South and West Kordofan in Sudan.

    He said the war has caused a big problem for people and made it hard for workers to do their jobs.

    The fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has made almost half of the people in Sudan need help.

    Over seven million people have left their homes, which makes Sudan the biggest displacement crisis in the world.

  • Israel claims charge of genocide is untrue

    Israel claims charge of genocide is untrue

    Israel has said that South Africa is not telling the truth in its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. South Africa is accusing Israel of committing genocide.

    South Africa gave a big description of what could have happened differently in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, according to Israeli lawyer Tal Becker.

    South Africa accuses Israel of killing many Palestinians in the fighting in Gaza.

    It also wants the court to make Israel stop its military action.

    The ICJ is the top court of the United Nations. The decisions of the ICJ are supposed to be followed by countries like Israel and South Africa, but they cannot be forced to follow them.

    Israel is presenting its argument to the court one day after South Africa did.

    On Thursday, there was fighting outside the court in The Hague, Netherlands between Palestinian and Israeli supporters. Police tried to keep them apart.

    Many people with flags from Palestine gathered outside the Peace Palace, shouting for the fighting to stop. Israeli supporters put up a screen to show pictures of more than 130 hostages still in Gaza.

    South Africa says Israel is breaking a promise to stop genocide. Both countries agreed to this promise in 1949.

    Israel has been fighting against Hamas, the group that runs Gaza, since October 7th. This was because hundreds of Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing around 1,300 people and taking about 240 others as hostages back to Gaza.

    The health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, says that over 23,350 people, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israel in the war.

    In the beginning of the trial, Tal Becker said that even though it’s sad that civilians are suffering, Hamas is trying to hurt both Israelis and Palestinians, while Israel is trying to protect them.

    He said that South Africa has given the court a very wrong and misleading picture of the facts and the law. Their whole case relies on a purposely selected, taken out of context, and manipulative description of the current fighting.

    On Thursday, 17 judges in the court listened to lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi from South Africa. He said Israel’s intentions to commit genocide were clear from the way they were conducting their military attacks.

    Israel had a plan to “destroy” Gaza, he said, which “has been nurtured at the highest level of state”. Israel planned to “destroy” Gaza, and he said it was a plan made by the state’s highest leaders.

    Adila Hassim, who is from South Africa, told the court that the Palestinian people are suffering every day. They are losing their lives, homes, dignity, and humanity.

    “Only a court order can make the suffering stop. ”

    South Africa said that Israel’s actions are meant to destroy a large part of the Palestinian people.

    On Thursday, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, criticized South Africa for not speaking out against the terrible things happening in Syria and Yemen that are being done by people who work with Hamas. He said South Africa is being hypocritical.

    “Today everything was upside-down. ” Israel is being accused of killing lots of people, but they say they are fighting against killing lots of people.

    A representative for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Mr. Sunak thinks that South Africa’s case is completely unfair and incorrect.

    “The UK government supports Israel’s right to defend itself according to international law,” he said.

    The ICJ’s decision on the genocide accusation will just be a point of view, but a lot of people are paying close attention to it.

    It may take a long time for a decision to be made, but the court may decide quickly on whether Israel should stop its military actions in response to South Africa’s request.

  • Somali Islamists grab UN helicopter and its crew

    Somali Islamists grab UN helicopter and its crew

    The al-Shabab group in Somalia has taken a United Nations helicopter and around eight people who were on it, including passengers and crew, according to local sources.

    The helicopter landed in an area in central Somalia that is controlled by a group.

    Some people said the plane had to land unexpectedly, while others said the landing was a error.

    Al-Shabab has power over big areas of southern and central Somalia.

    The group is connected to al-Qaeda and has been fighting a violent war for almost 20 years.

    The Galmudug region Security Minister Mohamed Abdi Adan told the BBC that they took control of the helicopter.

    “According to Somali military official Major Hassan Ali, there were some foreigners and two local people on the helicopter. ”

    “He said it was bringing medicine and was supposed to take wounded soldiers from Galgudud region. ”

    The helicopter was flying to Wisil town where the government forces are fighting against al-Shabab. It landed near the frontlines of the battle.

    The UN has not said anything yet.

    The Somali government has been fighting harder against the group connected to al-Qaeda in the last few months.

  • Skyrocketing food cost leaves Gazans hopeless

    Skyrocketing food cost leaves Gazans hopeless

    Food sellers in Gaza are charging really high prices because there isn’t enough food, which is making life hard for people who live there, regular Palestinians say.

    Jihad Abu Sharkh had to move from his home in northern Gaza to Rafah in the south because a lot of displaced Palestinians are staying there. But now, it’s hard to find enough food to eat.

    “We have to rely on the merchants who buy something for 10 shekels and then sell it for 200 or 250 shekels,” he said.

    “They buy a bag of flour for 60 shekels and then sell it to us for 300 shekels. ”

    He asked everyone to unite against the people who sell food to war, and stop them from having all the power.

    Jamal Abu Alyan, who is in the southern part of Gaza, said: “Everywhere we go, we have a hard time because only a few dealers control everything. ”

    Another person in Rafah told the media: “Many people don’t have enough food or drink to eat and some have to beg because they can’t find enough to eat. This is because food sellers are controlling the prices. ”

    The United Nations has said that Gaza doesn’t have enough food and could run out of food soon.

    More update on this story soon.

  • Al-Aqsa Hospital’s situation is “dire” – UN

    Al-Aqsa Hospital’s situation is “dire” – UN

    Gemma Connell, who speaks for the United Nations, says to the BBC that the al-Aqsa hospital is about to close. It’s the only hospital in the middle of Gaza.

    Connell says that al-Aqsa is the only hospital left in the middle of Gaza, where there is a big fight happening.

    She said that not only are there many people getting hurt, but the hospital’s ability to work well is in danger every day.

    Humanitarian groups are leaving the hospital and the International Rescue Committee is taking its doctors away. This will make the trauma center weak and could make it stop working. Connell said this.

    This happened because the Israeli military started doing more things near the hospital.

    “The hospital is in a very bad situation. ” We only have one doctor working in the emergency room.

    “You only have two surgeons left to help many people in the hospital. ” We have a lot of injured people coming in every hour who are really in need of life-saving help.

  • Thousands of Palestinians escape central Gaza as Israeli forces move forward

    Thousands of Palestinians escape central Gaza as Israeli forces move forward

    According to the United Nations, about 150,000 Palestinians are being forced to flee areas in central Gaza, as Israeli forces advance toward refugee camps.

    Witnesses and the military wing of Hamas reported that tanks had reached the eastern outskirts of the Bureij camp.

    The Israeli army recently expanded its ground offensive against Bureij and the neighboring camps Nuseirat and Maghazi. Israeli bombing also killed dozens of people in Gaza on Thursday, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said.

    Egypt confirmed it had put forward a three-phase proposal to end the fighting, ending with a ceasefire. A Hamas delegation is said to have arrived in Cairo to give feedback on the project.

    The war was sparked by an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas gunmen into southern Israel on October 7, in which 1,200 people were killed – mostly civilians – and about 240 others were captured hostage.

    According to the Health Ministry, more than 21,300 people have been killed in Gaza – mostly children and women – in 11 weeks of fighting.

    The Israeli military called for the evacuation of the strip stretching across central Gaza, including the Bureij and Nuseirat camps, and ordered nearly 90,000 residents and 61,000 displaced people from affected areas to move south to the town of Deir al-Balah.

    However, the United Nations warned on Thursday that they had nowhere to go because Deir al-Balah was overcrowded, with hundreds of thousands of displaced people sheltering there.

    The United Nations says Rafah – which has become Gaza’s most populous city – has welcomed about 100,000 new arrivals in recent days as Israeli ground forces move into new residential areas. Omar, 60, said he was forced to leave Bureij with at least 35 family members.

    “This moment has come, I wish it never happened, but it seems this move is necessary,” he told Reuters news agency by phone. “Now we are in a tent in Deir al-Balah because of Israel’s brutal war.

    ” Tom White, Gaza director for the UN humanitarian agency UNRWA, said more and more people were being pushed towards the town of Rafah in southern Gaza, “so there are more and more people in a very small strip of land. ” cannot meet their needs.

    On Thursday night, Gaza’s Health Ministry announced that 20 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building in Rafah that appeared to house displaced civilians.

    On Thursday morning, a ministry spokesman announced that 50 people were killed in Israeli attacks in Maghazi, the northern town of Beit Lahia and the southern town of Khan Younis.

    The deadliest incident occurred in Beit Lahia, where Palestinian media reported 30 people were killed in the demolition of a block of four buildings.

    A local television journalist, Bassel Kheir al-Din, told the Associated Press that 12 members of his family were buried under the rubble of one of the buildings and were presumed dead, leaving nine remaining. Their neighbors are missing.

    The Palestinian Red Crescent said 10 people were killed when Israeli artillery shelled an apartment near al-Amal hospital in Khan Younis, a day after a similar incident outside the facility left 31 people died.

    Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters on Wednesday that the city is “a major terrorist center for Hamas”.

    He also said the army fought in the Bureij region for the third day, adding that they “killed many terrorists and destroyed terrorist infrastructure”.

    Residents told Reuters that heavy fighting continued on Thursday, with Israeli tanks advancing towards the densely populated Bureij camp from the north and east.

    Hamas released a video showing what it said was its warplanes targeting Israeli soldiers and vehicles.

    Elsewhere, the IDF said it regretted the “damage to unrelated civilians” caused by an airstrike in Maghazi on Sunday that killed at least 70 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

    Their statement said that the fighters “attacked two adjacent targets where Hamas members were present. ” In Israel, thousands of teenagers participated in marches demanding a new agreement to return more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.

    Many protesters came from communities hardest hit by the October 7 attacks. “I come from Kibbutz Kfar Aza,” Shiri Khiyali told the BBC.

    “I was there on October 7. My people were kidnapped. We want them back. We want them back now. ” Separately, United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk issued a fresh appeal calling on Israel to end what he called “illegal” killings in the occupied West Bank.

    A report says the United Nations has verified the killing of 300 Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli forces and Israeli settlers since October 7.

    A spokesman for the Israeli prime minister called the report ridiculous and said it downplayed major threats to Israel’s security.

  • Israel-Gaza conflict will rage for months – IDF head

    Israel-Gaza conflict will rage for months – IDF head

    The war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza will continue for “several more months,” the head of the Israeli army said.

    “There is no magic solution,” Herzi Halevi told reporters. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the campaign is “not over yet. ” Israel said it attacked more than 100 locations on Tuesday.

    It appears to be expanding its ground operations into central Gaza. Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry says 20,915 Palestinians have been killed in more than 11 weeks of fighting.

    The war began on October 7 after Hamas carried out a wave of deadly attacks targeting communities in Israel.

    Since then, about 1. 9 million people have been displaced by Israeli bombing, according to the United Nations.

    Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (Unwra), told the BBC: “We are seeing very worrying reports of famine in some places, while there is war.

    The fighting continues, displacement continues and the UN shelters are overcrowded and overwhelmed. ” ” Last week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on Israel to reduce the intensity of its attacks to limit “harm to civilians”.

    On Tuesday, Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), told a news conference that the war would “continue for several more months” to ensure that “our interests are protected” over a long period of time”. He added.

    “There is no shortcut to completely destroy a terrorist organization, other than being stubborn and determined to fight.

    ” The Israeli military said Tuesday’s airstrikes hit 100 targets, from Jabaliya in northern Gaza to Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south.

    He reportedly launched a ground attack on refugee camps in central Gaza after ordering residents to evacuate.

    Internet and phone services were again cut across the Gaza Strip. About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the October 7 attack.

    About 240 people were sent back to Gaza as hostages. Israel said 132 people remained detained.

    On Monday, Netanyahu told parliament: “We will not be able to release all the abductees without military pressure. we will not stop fighting.

    ” Israeli and Arab media said Egypt has proposed a ceasefire plan.

    The plan reportedly calls for the gradual release of all Israeli hostages and an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, ending with Israel calling off the offensive.

    A previous temporary ceasefire negotiated by Qatar allowed the release of dozens of hostages from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

    Israel and Hamas have so far resisted calls for a permanent ceasefire.

    Meanwhile, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is in Washington to hold talks with Mr. Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

    National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the discussions would focus on “issues related to the conflict in Gaza and the return of hostages held by Hamas. ”

  • Afghanistan surpassed by Myanmar as world’s largest producer of opium

    Afghanistan surpassed by Myanmar as world’s largest producer of opium

    Myanmar now makes more opium than any other country in the world, surpassing Afghanistan, according to a report from the United Nations.

    This year, it’s expected that the amount of opium made will increase by 36% to 1,080 tonnes, which is much more than the 330 tonnes that Afghanistan is said to have made.

    Poppy growing in Afghanistan decreased by 95% after the Taliban rulers banned the drug last year.

    At the same time, farming has grown in Myanmar because a violent civil war has made it a profitable way to make money.

    Jeremy Douglas, who works for the United Nations and wrote the report, says that the problems with the economy, safety, and government since the military took over in February 2021 are making farmers in faraway places turn to growing opium to survive.

    For many years, opium has been grown in Myanmar. It is used to make the dangerous drug heroin. The money made from selling opium has been used to support rebel groups who are fighting against the government.

    However, in the last year, while the civil war caused by the 2021 coup continued, farming has grown by about 18%. The report also says that farming has become more advanced and productive because of the use of well-organized fields, irrigation systems, and sometimes fertilizers.

    More and more people are starting to grow the crop because prices are going up. The pandemic and Myanmar’s bad economy has made growing opium more appealing as a job. A new report from the World Bank says the country is not expected to grow much.

    Shan State is a place in Myanmar where there has been a lot of fighting between some armed groups and the military. It is also the biggest producer of opium in Myanmar. The fighting in Shan has gotten worse and has even affected big mafia families who got rich from gambling, scams, and drugs. However, the rebel groups still depend on selling opium to get money for their activities.

    Mr Douglas said that the fighting in Shan and other border areas will probably cause more opium to be made.

    The report also said that more opium is being grown in the northern Shan State, as well as in Chin and Kachin states, where rebel groups are fighting the army.

    Opium farming has been an important way for people in Shan to make money, even though their land is not very good for growing crops. Many people who lost their jobs in other parts of Myanmar have been coming back to Shan. They have found work growing opium there.

    Making and selling heroin is the most money-making business in the opium industry. The report says that this year, Myanmar has exported around 154 tonnes of heroin, which is worth about $2. 2 billion

    The place where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet is called the Golden Triangle. People there have been making a lot of opium and heroin for a long time. Most of the heroin sold around the world comes from Myanmar and Afghanistan.

  • UN warns of ‘apocalyptic’ situation in Gaza as Israeli troops move southward

    UN warns of ‘apocalyptic’ situation in Gaza as Israeli troops move southward

    The United Nations said that there is nowhere safe for Palestinians in Gaza because Israeli troops are moving into more areas.

    The UN officials say the situation is very bad in the besieged area because there is a lot of fighting and bombing.

    The IDF told people to leave a part of Khan Younis because there were airstrikes there.

    UN emergency relief official Martin Griffiths said that every time we think things can’t get worse in Gaza, they do.

    People are being told to move, but they don’t have much to live on and are forced to make really tough decisions.

    “He said that we need to stop being so disrespectful to each other as human beings. ”

    Israel is attacking Hamas more and sending soldiers to more areas in the territory.

    The Israeli military surrounded the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, near the border with Israel.

    The place has seen lots of fighting lately after a break of one week.

    Trucks full of help have gone into Gaza in the last two days, but they have had trouble moving because of the fighting.

    At the same time, a soldier named Binyamin Needham from Britain and Israel was mentioned by the IDF as one of three troops who died on Sunday while the military continued its ground attack in the southern area of the Strip.

    People are honoring the soldier who was seriously hurt and died two days after going to the frontline with the 401st Brigade.

    Reports say he died while Israel keeps attacking Gaza and killing lots of innocent people since the break ended on December 1.

  • 3-year-old Gazan child looses legs due to ongoing Israeli-Hamas war

    3-year-old Gazan child looses legs due to ongoing Israeli-Hamas war

    James Elder, who speaks for the United Nations children’s agency Unicef, is worried about how the Israeli military action in southern Gaza is affecting children.

    “A strong message from the top has been sent that we must not let the terrible things that happened in the north happen in the south. ” “Yes, that is definitely true,” Elder said.

    He guessed that bombs drop “every 10 minutes”.

    The people in southern Gaza are in danger and feeling very tired because they have been forced to leave their homes multiple times due to bombing. They have nowhere else to go and are trying to stay strong for their children.

    “When I see so many children being brought in on stretchers with terrible war injuries and their parents screaming, it is clear that hospitals and shelters are not safe for them,” he said.

    “I don’t feel safe, and no one else feels safe. ” Doctors in Gaza have a word for a certain type of war victim, according to the BBC.

    Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan, who works with the charity Doctors Without Borders, says there’s an acronym unique to the Gaza Strip called WCNSF. It stands for “wounded child, no surviving family” and is used often.

    Ahmed Shabat is a child who was hurt and crying when he got to the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza. He was described with an acronym. A three-year-old boy was okay after an air attack on his home in Beit Hanoun, in the middle of November. But his dad, mom and big brother were all killed.

    He was very lucky and only had a few small injuries. Later it was found out that his little brother Omar, who is two years old, also lived through the attack. Their uncle Ibrahim Abu Amsha chose to take care of the two children who had lost their parents, in addition to his own family.

    He first brought them to Sheikh Radwan city, but then he said they left because Ahmed got hurt by pieces of glass from a bomb.

    They later went to Nuseirat camp and stayed in a school that is part of the UN. However, even in their new place, they were hit once more, and Ahmed had really bad things happen to him.

    Abu Amsha said, “I left the school and saw Ahmed in front of me, lying on the ground without his legs. ” “He was moving on the ground towards me, with his arms open, asking for help. ”

    One of Ahmed’s family members who was with him during the explosion, died.

  • David Cameron to speak with leaders of Palestinian people

    David Cameron to speak with leaders of Palestinian people

    David Cameron is going to talk with Palestinian leaders today during his visit to the Middle East.

    The UK’s top diplomat said that the country would give an extra £30m to help with the increasing humanitarian problems in Gaza.

    The money will help the United Nations and other agencies provide vital aid like shelter and medical care.

    He said Britain was quickly exploring all options to send help to Gaza, including by land, air, and sea.

    Lord Cameron stressed that the hostage deal was important because it would bring back some captives and also allow more aid to be sent to Gaza during a break in the fighting.

    Lord Cameron will talk to Palestinian leaders about finding a way to solve the crisis for the long term.

  • UAE corporation acquires land in Africa for contentious carbon offset projects

    UAE corporation acquires land in Africa for contentious carbon offset projects

    In late September, the environment minister of Zimbabwe gave a foreign company control of almost 20% of the country’s land. Blue Carbon was a small and new company, only less than a year old. But the person in charge was not new to business. He was a royal from Dubai with a family that had been in power for a long time and had a lot of money from oil.

    The company Blue Carbon from Dubai has bought a lot of forest land in Africa to protect it from being cut down. This will stop a lot of carbon dioxide from going into the air and heating up the planet.

    Blue Carbon can take the savings from the conservation and sell them to companies and governments as carbon credits. These credits can help them make up for the pollution they create from burning fossil fuels that harm the planet.

    Several forest conservation agreements were announced in the months leading up to the annual United Nations‘ climate summit. The summit will be held in December in the United Arab Emirates and will include deals with Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Liberia, and Tanzania. But many experts and environmental activists CNN talked to say that these deals are just another way for the oil-producing country to keep extracting fossil fuels while making it seem like they care about the environment.

    Meanwhile, the UAE wants to use all its oil in 50 years, even though scientists say we should stop using fossil fuels long before that.

    A person who speaks for the company didn’t tell CNN if they would sell the credits to the UAE. But because the chairman of Blue Carbon, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, is related to Dubai’s royal ruler, who is also the UAE’s prime minister, most analysts think the credits will be sold to the UAE to help with their big carbon footprint. They could also be sold to other countries and companies that need oil in the Gulf and other places. CNN has asked the UAE government for a comment.

    Blue Carbon did not tell CNN the size of all its projects, the amount of money it has given for funding, or how many credits it wants to make. The agreements are just starting and not finished yet.

    The company said it will share its deals at the COP28 summit in Dubai as a plan for carbon trading. Every year, leaders and negotiators from almost 200 countries come together at the climate summit to make decisions about using less fossil fuels. The UAE will use its COP28 presidency to try to make sure that carbon removal from both forests and oil and gas is a big part of solving the climate crisis. This means taking carbon from the air when oil and gas are burned and storing it underground.

    People who care about the environment don’t like carbon removal because they think it allows companies to keep making and burning fossil fuels and make a lot of money. Scientists also have doubts about whether it actually works.

    The UAE stands to lose a lot of money. Oil and gas make up about 30% of its economy and 13% of the things it sells to other countries, according to the US Department of Commerce. Over 80 countries want to stop using fossil fuels. Wind and solar power are now just as cheap as oil and gas in many places, so eventually, they will replace them.

    If fossil fuel companies and lobbyists can convince the world at COP28 not to trust wind and solar too much, and to keep using oil and gas, then it might happen.

    The UAE is getting a lot of criticism because Sultan Al Jaber, who runs the big oil and gas company ADNOC, is leading the negotiations. Over 100 US Congress and European Parliament members want Al Jaber to be replaced as COP28 president in May.

    Al Jaber says that he doesn’t think it’s a problem to have many different jobs at once. He has talked about this in several interviews. ADNOC told CNN in an email that they think he is the best person to lead the talks because of his experience leading Masdar and the oil and gas company.

    Al Jaber believes that companies that use fossil fuels should be involved in discussions about the environment to make sure that the transition to green energy really happens.

    The argument makes sense to some people, but climate advocates don’t believe it. They say the fossil fuel industry has had plenty of time to lead on the issue, but they haven’t. Some companies that produce fuels from ancient plant and animal remains were the first to realize that their products are causing changes in the Earth’s climate. About forty years ago, they kept making money from coal, oil, and gas.

    Jamie Henn, who started Fossil Free Media, said that ADNOC is using the UN climate talks to make themselves look good even though they are one of the biggest oil companies. “The UAE wanted to host this meeting to show that their oil and gas industry can help with the climate problem. ”

    In 2020, the UAE contributed about 0. 53% of the world’s CO2 emissions. Even though it has a small population of around 10 million people, it ranks as the sixth-largest carbon polluter per person. Even though the UAE has fewer people, it was the seventh-largest oil producer in the world in 2022.

    Henn thought it was ridiculous that fossil fuel companies were controlling the negotiations.

    “It feels like the tobacco control talks are being controlled by Philip Morris. ” “We have to have that at COP. ”

    The COP, which happens in a new city every year, has never had this many obvious conflicts of interest before. Al Jaber is leading efforts to address climate change and reduce the use of fossil fuels. Blue Carbon is closely connected to the royal family and leaders of the UAE, making it hard to tell if they are truly supporting carbon offsets or just want to keep producing fossil fuels.

    The rules for buying and selling carbon credits will be decided in Dubai at COP28.

    When CNN asked Blue Carbon if they were planning to do more carbon offset deals in Africa, a company spokesperson said they would announce some new initiatives at COP28. A source familiar with the COP28 agenda said the company will use the deals to promote carbon credits as an important part of addressing climate change.

    Many countries have agreed to work with Blue Carbon, which is not surprising. The company that owns it, Global Carbon Investments, has agreed to give Zimbabwe $1. 5 billion in advance for carbon credits. This is more money than the country spends on education and childcare, which are its biggest national expenses when added together.

    Forest-rich countries can make money from carbon credit schemes because they don’t get enough financial help from rich countries to deal with the climate crisis.

    Destroying forests or allowing them to deteriorate contributes to at least 12% of the world’s emissions that cause the planet to become warmer. They are valuable for the environment because they can take in carbon dioxide from the air.

    However, many people have criticized the idea of trading carbon credits for not cutting down forests. Some of the largest companies that certify carbon credits have been found to use methods that make their projects seem more effective at fighting climate change than they really are.

    In the beginning of November, Renat Heuberger, the boss of a company called South Pole, quit his job. His company was supposed to trade carbon credits. But people found out that they had lied about how much the credits helped the environment in a forest project in Zimbabwe.

    South Pole said that the news reports about over-issuing carbon credits are not true. They think the reports are exaggerated and misleading. They are denying the allegations made by the media.

    A South Pole spokesperson told CNN in an email that Heuberger left because the company needed a new leader for quality assurance and careful controls.

    “Supporting efforts to protect forests is a good idea. ” “But the problem is that protecting forests is not a simple solution,” Julia Jones, a scientist who works to protect nature at Bangor University in Wales, explained.

    She said we need to save forests and reduce emissions a lot all over the world. “Trying to balance one with the other, without spending a lot to reduce emissions, is a problem. ”

    Land ownership is another problem. In some situations, native people and landowners have been forced out of their land to make room for big projects. They see their homes, which were once considered not very valuable, being used by companies and countries to make a lot of money, even if it harms the environment.

    The Forest Peoples Programme, a group that is not part of the government, says that more and more people are being forced to leave their homes in Kenya because the government is giving away land for carbon credits.

    “Companies want to make a lot of money from Africa’s forests, and it seems like they are trying to take control of them. ” Justin Kenrick, who works for the Forest Peoples Programme, said this in an email to CNN. “In Kenya, they are still trying to conserve nature, but they are doing it in a way that doesn’t work. They are forcing the people who know how to take care of the forests out of their homes. ”

    No matter what happens at COP28, ADNOC, the oil and gas company owned by the UAE government, could benefit a lot. This is especially true if they can show the world that they are focused on producing the most energy. The phrase “Minimum Emissions” is a good way to help the environment, especially as the Earth gets hotter and scientists urge for quick reductions in using fossil fuels.

    A person from ADNOC did not say how many people from the company would go to COP28 when asked by CNN. They also said that the idea that the company would gain from the conference is wrong and has no basis.

    ADNOC plans to increase its oil production by 41% and its gas production by one-third by 2030, compared to this year. This information comes from an analysis by Global Witness, a non-profit that focuses on environmental and human rights issues. Global Witness said that its greenhouse gas emissions have gone up by 40%.

    Other oil companies like Shell and BP have different plans compared to the production increase. Shell’s production is expected to stay the same, while BP plans to reduce their production by 25% by 2030. By 2030, ADNOC plans to produce more than both companies.

    ADNOC is becoming a big global oil company. It’s buying oil and gas fields in other countries and partnering with BP to explore for gas in the eastern Mediterranean. The company is also investing in renewable energy and chemical projects, according to what they told CNN.

    ADNOC wants to reduce the amount of CO2 it produces when it grows. They said they aim to capture 10 million metric tons of CO2 a year by 2030. But Global Witness says this number is much too big.

    ADNOC can currently produce 800,000 metric tons per year. It wants to make 3 megatons more each year once it finishes building two new facilities. Even if ADNOC’s facilities start working, it would take them over 340 years to catch all the carbon they’re expected to emit between 2023 and 2030. This includes the carbon from their operations and the carbon released from using their oil and gas.

    ADNOC did not talk about the calculation in its reply to CNN. They only mentioned their goal to reach net zero by 2045 and that they will spend $15 billion to achieve this.

    “Before this year, most people probably didn’t know about ADNOC. ” Patrick Galey, a senior investigator at Global Witness, told CNN that the more we learn about this company, the more we realize that it is very different from other companies. Its CEO is supposed to work on reducing emissions at COP28, but the company seems to be going in a different direction.

    “ADNOC wants to make a lot of oil for many years and also wants to expand their production of oil and gas. ”

    The UAE company will grow after 2030 based on how much negotiators support carbon capture at COP28, and if it can find new customers overseas. COP28 might change ADNOC into a big global oil company.

  • Netanyahu in ‘precarious position’ – Former senior US advisor

    Netanyahu in ‘precarious position’ – Former senior US advisor

    Today, there was an attack at a security checkpoint in Jerusalem. There has been a lot of violence in the West Bank recently. It started after a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7th.

    As we said before, Israeli police say they shot and killed three gunmen who started shooting at the checkpoint. The people who attacked were from Hebron, a city in the West Bank, according to the police.

    The United Nations says that Israeli forces have killed 182 Palestinians, with 46 of them being children, since October 7th. It says that eight more people were killed by Israeli settlers.

    The Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that Israel has arrested over 2,700 people since October 7th.

    Today, after the attack, a minister in Israel who is responsible for keeping the country safe, spoke to the media.
    The PA, which rules some of the West Bank, has the same opinions as Hamas. He said that the PA should be taken care of. Just like we are handling Gaza.

  • Shells hit market in Sudan, kills 20 people

    Shells hit market in Sudan, kills 20 people

    On Sunday, November 5, more than 20 individuals lost their lives as shells struck a market located in a suburb near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, as reported by a committee of lawyers advocating for democracy.

    This incident represents the most recent occurrence of violence in the ongoing conflict that began in April, involving the military forces led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

    According to a statement from the pro-democracy lawyers’ committee, the shelling took place in Omdurman during a fierce firefight between the two opposing factions.

    “More than 20 civilians have been killed and others have been wounded,” said the statement, which was sent to AFP. The committee keeps track of rights violations during the conflict and its civilian victims.

    A medical source reported on Saturday that 15 civilians lost their lives as a result of shells hitting residential houses in Khartoum. Omdurman has frequently been the epicenter of intense clashes between the opposing sides.

    Although most of the conflict had previously been concentrated in the capital and the western Darfur region, witnesses have noted its expansion to areas south of Khartoum.

    According to a conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, the Sudan conflict has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 individuals.

    However, humanitarian organizations and medical professionals have consistently cautioned that the actual toll surpasses the documented numbers, as many of the wounded and deceased never make it to hospitals or morgues.

    The war has forced an estimated 5.5 million people to flee, with displacement occurring both within Sudan and across its borders, as reported by the United Nations.

  • Israeli military: Maybe fire at another target caused school explosion

    Israeli military: Maybe fire at another target caused school explosion

    On Saturday, we shared news that the United Nations refugee agency, known as Unrwa, confirmed that a school it manages in the Jabalia refugee camp was hit.

    The school, which is being used as a place for people who are running away from fighting, was hit in two areas. One area had tents where people were living, and the other area was close to a wall where women were making bread. Juliette Touma, Unrwa’s director of communications, informed the BBC about this.

    She said that Unrwa doesn’t know why it happened, but the health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, said that it was an attack by Israelis that killed at least 15 people and injured 70 others.

    This morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) informed Reuters news agency that according to an initial investigation, they did not intend to target that place. However, it is possible that the explosion happened because the IDF was aiming at a different target.

    More update on this story soon…

  • Fifteen UN employees suffered injuries after explosives in Mali struck cars

    Fifteen UN employees suffered injuries after explosives in Mali struck cars

    Fifteen peacekeepers from the United Nations were injured while leaving a rebel area in northern Mali. Their vehicles were hit by explosives.

    The United Nations reported that there were two separate instances this week where convoys were attacked by homemade bombs known as improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

    On Wednesday, eight peacekeepers got hurt and were taken away by air. They are now doing fine, according to the UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.

    On Friday, seven peacekeepers were injured and taken away by plane for treatment. The speaker didn’t give any information about their health.

    Mr Dujarric said that on Tuesday, two explosive devices were used to attack the convoy as it was leaving the UN base in Kidal. At least two peacekeepers were hurt in these attacks.

    The extremist group called JNIM, which is connected to al-Qaida, said that they were the ones who caused the explosions on Tuesday.

    The peacekeepers were supposed to leave the rebel’s territory in a few weeks, but they left earlier because the situation became more tense in that area.
    Mr Dujarric said the United Nations is unsure if the explosive devices that hit the group of vehicles had been there for a while or if the peacekeepers were purposefully singled out.

    But he said the group of vehicles is going to Gao, which is on the east side of the Niger River. It should be easy for most people to understand the path they are using to reach there.

    The group of vehicles is going to reach the city by the end of the weekend and from there, the peacekeepers can leave the country by plane.

    In 2021, Mali’s military leaders, who took power by force and removed the elected president, told the United Nations peacekeeping force, which had been trying to stop a group of extremists, to go away. The UN force consisted of about 15,000 soldiers and had been in Mali for ten years.

    The UN Security Council began the process of leaving Mali, and they wanted everyone to be out by December 31.

    The UN has been trying to keep peace in Mali since 2013. This mission, called MINUSMA, is very dangerous and has resulted in the deaths of 300 people.
    There were about 850 UN peacekeepers in Kidal, along with 150 other mission staff.

    A worker from the United Nations (UN) said to the Associated Press that peacekeepers left the base in groups of vehicles because the leaders of Mali’s junta did not give permission for flights to bring back UN staff and equipment.

    The military leaders agreed to let the medical evacuation flights happen, according to Mr Dujarric. However, he also mentioned that they are not allowing as many flights as they should to keep our peacekeepers on the ground safe.

    After the group of vehicles left Kidal, the town was seized by ethnic Tuareg rebels. These rebels have been fighting against Mali’s military.

    Experts say that the violence is a result of the breakdown of a peace agreement made in 2015 between the government and the rebels.

    The deal was made after Tuareg rebels forced security forces out of northern Mali in 2012 because they wanted their own separate country.

  • Gaza’s ‘civil order’ deteriorating as thousands loot necessities from warehouses – UN warns

    Gaza’s ‘civil order’ deteriorating as thousands loot necessities from warehouses – UN warns

    The United Nations said on Sunday that there are signs of chaos in Gaza as many Palestinians are taking essential items like flour and hygiene supplies from warehouses. This is happening as Israel is intensifying its actions in the area.

    During a press conference, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the situation in Gaza is getting worse and more urgent with every passing moment.

    Conditions in Gaza became much worse after the telecommunications lines stopped working on Friday evening. This has made it even more difficult for medical services to help people and has made it hard for aid agencies to communicate with their staff in the area. Gaza is a very crowded place where over 2 million people live.

    The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) also admitted that some of the food it gave out was taken by others, and they are warning that more people are becoming hungry.

    This means that people are losing hope and feeling more desperate very quickly. Samer AbdelJaber, who represents the World Food Programme in Palestine, said that they have been hungry, alone, and experiencing violence and great hardship for three weeks.

    According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, about 94 trucks with aid have entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt. On Sunday, 10 of these trucks brought in food and medical supplies.

    Rear Admiral is a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Daniel Hagari, in a video shared on Sunday on the group’s official social media, mentioned that humanitarian aid to Gaza will increase on Monday. He did not give more information about it.

    The Israeli military says there are enough food, water, and medicine in Gaza, even though many aid agencies are warning about shortages. The United Nations says that if there is a temporary cease in fighting, it would help in delivering a lot more aid to the people in need.

    The act of taking supplies is a concerning indication that the situation in Gaza is becoming chaotic and unstable as a result of three weeks of war and a strict blockade. “People in Gaza are very scared, frustrated, and desperate,” said Thomas White, who is in charge of helping the Palestinian refugees there for the UN Relief and Works Agency.

    White said that many people from northern Gaza were being forced to move to the south, which was causing a lot of stress on communities and making public services even worse. “He said that the communities have a lot of needs, especially for basic survival, but the help we get is small and inconsistent. ”

    This means that the Israeli military wants people in northern Gaza to move south quickly because they are under a lot of pressure. The Prime Minister of Israel also said they are now in the second phase of their war against Hamas.

    The United Nations and organizations that help people in need have expressed disapproval for the suggestion to relocate towards the southern part of Gaza. They point out that it is difficult and risky to move around in Gaza when it is being attacked.

    We’re not sure if many people in Gaza got the message to go to the south, because communication networks have been cut off in most areas since Friday night. Some service providers and a monitoring group say that communication has only been partially restored by Sunday morning.

    Israel is increasing its presence on the ground in a military operation.

    After the attack, Israel closed off Gaza completely and started a war.

    More than 7,950 Palestinians have died and over 20,000 have been hurt in Israeli airstrikes, as stated by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. They get this information from sources in the Hamas-controlled area.

    Israel wants to get rid of Hamas and save the 200 or more hostages they took during the attack on October 7. But over 2 million Palestinians are trapped in the middle of the violence.

    Israeli officials have confirmed that they have increased their “targeted raids” in Gaza. They sent ground forces into the territory on Friday night. On Sunday, Hagari said they will keep making the operation stronger.

    Israeli soldiers have moved forward about two miles into Gaza, as reported by CNN after analyzing a video published by an Israeli media source.

    In the video from Saturday, soldiers are shown placing an Israeli flag on the roof of a hotel in Gaza.

    The video is one of the first ways to see where Israeli soldiers have been and what they have been doing in the expanded ground operation.

    On Sunday, the IDF announced that they had attacked over 450 places in the past day. These included places where commands are given, spots for keeping an eye on others, and areas where missiles are launched.

    The Israeli military told Al Quds Hospital in Gaza to leave quickly because they might attack it. This information came from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS). The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he is very worried about the threats to evacuate Al Quds Hospital.

    He said on social media that it is not possible to move sick people out of hospitals without risking their lives. He also mentioned that according to the rules of International Humanitarian Law, healthcare should always be kept safe from harm.

    The head person in charge at the hospital is called the hospital director. This person is a doctor. Bashar Mourad, speaking to CNN on Sunday, said that it is not safe for people to escape and attacking the hospital is a crime in war. He also mentioned that when our ambulances tried to go to the south through Salah Al Din Street, they were hit by artillery. There are bombs being set off everywhere near us.

    On Sunday, the PRCS reported that the airstrikes from Israel have already caused a lot of harm to the hospital. It has also put patients and residents in danger of not being able to breathe properly.

    The organization said that the hospital is taking care of a lot of patients, including those who are injured, those who need a lot of attention, and babies that need help staying warm. Additionally, the hospital is providing shelter for around 12,000 civilians who have been forced to leave their homes. This information was shared by PRCS.

    Karim Khan, the person in charge of making sure people follow the rules at the International Criminal Court (ICC), said on CNN that if anyone purposely damages buildings and important things that regular people need in the Israel-Gaza conflict, they will have to explain why they did it.

    Khan stated that everyone who makes important decisions, such as the leader of a government, military advisors, and lawyers who decide on targeting, should be included. He also warned that it is illegal to refuse help to innocent people in need.

    The ICC is a group that has power over very serious crimes like genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Although Israel is not part of the ICC’s authority, the UN Security Council can still send Israel’s actions to the ICC because Israel is a member of the United Nations.

    The UN said on Saturday that stopping the fighting could help free Israeli hostages in Gaza.

    Israel is trying to find out the exact number of people who are being kept as prisoners in Gaza. The IDF announced on Saturday that they have informed 230 families that their loved ones are likely being held captive there.

    The Israeli government is being asked by the public to make sure the hostages are safe. They are doing this while they are trying harder to fight against Hamas. The government says this will help in getting the hostages released.

    Yahya Al-Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, said on Saturday that his group is willing to negotiate a deal to release all prisoners held by them in exchange for the approximately 6,630 Palestinians currently imprisoned in Israel. This idea may cause a lot of disagreement in Israel.

    During a news conference on Saturday, the families of the hostages said they informed Netanyahu that they would agree to a deal where all the hostages would be immediately set free.

    “We told the Prime Minister that the families are willing to consider a deal where everyone is exchanged for everyone right away. This deal has a lot of support from all of Israel,” said the representatives of the families in a statement. “Please bring everyone back to their homes immediately. ”

    After Israel increased its operations in Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iran all have warned that there may be security problems in the region if Israel continues its ground operations.

    Saudi Arabia strongly disapproves of and expresses its strong disapproval of any Israeli forces entering Gaza, as it has negative effects on the local people. This was mentioned by the country’s foreign ministry in a statement on Saturday.

    The Israeli military attacking the Palestinians would cause big problems for the region’s stability and global peace and security, according to the statement.

    The President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, said on Saturday that the Middle East is heading towards a dangerous situation, and it is not good for the region if the conflict continues to grow.

    The President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, said on Sunday that Israel did something very bad in Gaza, which might make everyone do something about it.

    Raisi wrote on X that Washington tells us not to take action, but they continue to strongly support Israel.

    On Sunday, Qatar’s leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, talked with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

    Al Thani said he emphasized the importance of a “stop fighting now” and mentioned the possibility of violence spreading to other areas and causing serious consequences. He said this on X.

    Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asked the leaders of Arab nations to have an urgent meeting of the Arab League because of Israel’s actions in Gaza. He made this request during a speech he gave in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Saturday.

    Abbas said that even though the UN wanted a pause to help people in need, Israel ignored it and continued to bomb and destroy things.

    The United Arab Emirates wants to ask other members of the UN Security Council to agree to a decision that would require an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for humanitarian reasons. They also want to have more breaks in fighting for humanitarian reasons. The UAE is the only Arab country that is currently a part of the Security Council.

    Earlier this month, the United States said no to a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that asked for a temporary halt to conflicts to help people in need.

  • Israel-Hamas war latest: Hospital evacuation deemed ‘impossible’ as Gaza military advances

    Israel-Hamas war latest: Hospital evacuation deemed ‘impossible’ as Gaza military advances

    Israeli soldiers have moved further into Gaza by more than two miles in their growing ground operation, according to a CNN analysis. Aid groups are expressing concern that the civil order is deteriorating, and hospitals are struggling with difficult orders to remove patients.

    Israel recently said that it is starting a new phase of its fight against the militant group Hamas. It also mentioned that its troops on the ground in Gaza will get stronger, after weeks of aerial attacks on the area controlled by Hamas.

    Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Saturday that the country is ready for a challenging and extended war. They are aiming to eliminate and completely defeat Hamas, the group responsible for the October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the death of over 1,400 individuals, mostly innocent civilians.

    The increased operations caused leaders to worry about a bigger conflict in the region. The United Nations also called for a ceasefire to provide much-needed help to Gaza.

    Latest update so fare

    Israeli bombings at Al-Quds Hospital caused a lot of damage to different hospital areas and put the people living there and the patients at risk of suffocating, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

    The medical organization said that Israel purposely did airstrikes very close to the hospital to make everyone leave, even though it is the second-largest hospital in Gaza City.

    The facility is helping many sick people, while around 12,000 people who had to leave their homes are also staying there, the organization explained.

    The organization was told by Israel to leave the hospital right away because it might get attacked. But the World Health Organization said it would be dangerous to move the patients.

    The hospital is in the northern part of Wadi Gaza. Israel wants people in Gaza to go to the southern part of Wadi Gaza because they are targeting Hamas in the northern area.

    Charity organizations have expressed their disapproval of the decision to evacuate, emphasizing the difficulties faced by ordinary people in Gaza when trying to move around while there are ongoing attacks happening. According to CNN, even those who have followed the order to evacuate have not been able to find safety.

    The ICC prosecutor is saying that leaders will have to explain and give good reasons for every attack they make on any civilian object.

    There are not enough water, food, and fuel and people are becoming desperate in the area. The area lost all communication from Friday night until Sunday morning.

    On Sunday, services slowly started getting back to normal after the United States exerted pressure on Israel to take action.

    On Sunday, the United Nations expressed concern that the situation in Gaza is getting worse, with indications that there is social chaos happening. They reported that many Palestinians, who are desperate for necessities like flour and hygiene products, are taking them from warehouses.

    During a news conference, the boss of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said the situation in Gaza is getting worse very quickly. He asked for a ceasefire right away and for consistent help with basic needs for the people there.

    Earlier, the United Nations officials said that the amount of help reaching Gaza was not sufficient to meet the requirements of the people there.

    US President Joe Biden talked to Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Sunday about sending help to Gaza and making sure innocent people are safe.

    On Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah reported that the number of deaths in Gaza has increased to 7,960 since October 7. The data for this report comes from sources in the Hamas-controlled area.

    Save the Children, a group that helps people in need, said that in the past three weeks, 3,000 children have been killed in Gaza. This number is more than the number of children who have been killed in wars around the world in each of the past four years.

    The widespread destruction and a lot of people dying has made many people very angry and caused protests in the Middle East and other places.

    Recently, a group of upset people in the Muslim majority area of Dagestan in Russia, got very angry and went into an airport. This happened after a plane came from Israel on Sunday. The airport had to be closed because of this and other flights had to be sent somewhere else.
    Expanded ground operations means increasing the number and scope of activities performed on land.

    The video, recorded on Saturday and shown by an Israeli news source, is one of the first views of where Israeli soldiers have been since starting ground operations in Gaza on Friday night.

    On Sunday, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) announced that they had a shootout with Hamas and targeted buildings that had Hamas members inside.

    In the Israeli city of Sderot, near the Gaza Strip boundary, a CNN team heard consistent machine gun shots on Sunday from the northern part of the area. At the same time, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were firing artillery and mortars from the southern border.

    Israeli tanks and vehicles that protect soldiers were seen heading towards the border. At the same time, helicopters, drones, and fighter jets flew above.

    The Israeli government is feeling pressure from the public to keep the 239 people held captive in Gaza safe. They are saying that their efforts to free these hostages are part of their plan.

    Iran, a country that has supported Hamas for a long time, made new warnings over the weekend that the ongoing conflict could spread further.

    Israel has done things in Gaza that are not acceptable, and this might make everyone feel like they have to do something about it, according to Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi. Jake Sullivan, who advises on US security, also mentioned that there is a higher chance of a conflict spreading to other areas in the Middle East.

    Egypt and Saudi Arabia recently cautioned that there could be a risk of regional security being disrupted due to Israel’s increased activities.

    Meanwhile, people are still asking for a break in fighting to help those who are suffering.

    The United Nations Security Council will have a sudden meeting on Monday. The United Arab Emirates will request a decision on stopping the fighting temporarily for humanitarian reasons.

    This means that a large majority of UN member states passed a resolution on Friday, asking for a continuous pause to help people in need.

    Earlier this month, the United States said no to a proposed plan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The plan wanted a temporary break to help people in trouble, but it didn’t criticize Hamas for their violent act.

  • UN ‘doesn’t know’ if Hamas has stocked fuel – Agency head

    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.

  • Gaza’s citizens feels abandoned as little help reaches them – UN

    Gaza’s citizens feels abandoned as little help reaches them – UN

    The main person from the United Nations who helps Palestinians without homes in Gaza says that the people there feel ignored, left out, and forgotten.

    The head of UNRWA, Phillippe Lazzarini, says that the aid trucks allowed to enter through an Egyptian crossing point have only provided a small amount of assistance.

    The BBC asked him a question, he replied by saying that Hamas did not steal fuel from the United Nations. However, he did acknowledge that Israel is preventing fuel from entering, and is blaming Hamas for storing it instead.

    EU leaders want Israel and Hamas to stop fighting temporarily, so that aid can be delivered to civilians.
    Israel previously said that it had launched specific attacks in the middle part of the Gaza Strip and hit many targets belonging to Hamas.

    The Israel Defense Forces reported that they killed Shadi Barud, who was a high-ranking member of Hamas’s intelligence group, in a mission.
    The amount of people taken by force from Israel and kept by Hamas in Gaza has been changed to 229.
    Over 1,400 people died in the first attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7th.

    According to the health ministry in charge of Hamas, around 7,000 individuals have lost their lives since the Israeli bombings started in Gaza.

  • 2,000 children killed in Gaza – Humanitarian organisation claims

    2,000 children killed in Gaza – Humanitarian organisation claims

    Tempers rose at the United Nations on Tuesday because of calls for a ceasefire. Aid groups and doctors in Gaza are concerned that power shortages could endanger the lives of vulnerable babies and patients.

    Organizations that help people are asking for a stop to the fighting in Gaza. They say that in the last few weeks, Israel has been bombing Gaza more and that around 2,000 children have been killed there.

    Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, announced on Monday that the country is getting ready to take action against Hamas, the militant group in control of Gaza. This operation will involve using air, ground, and sea forces.

    In the last 24 hours, over 700 people died in Gaza as a result of Israeli attacks on what they believed were Hamas targets. This is the highest number of deaths in a single day since the attacks began two and a half weeks ago. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah shared this information on Tuesday. The ministry said that among the people who died, there were 305 children, 173 women, and 78 elderly individuals.

    The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told soldiers on Tuesday that the recent strikes killed many terrorists. We dealt the enemy a very strong attack that they have never experienced before in just one day. “We have killed many terrorists, maybe even more,” he said.

    Israel’s leaders have promised to eliminate Hamas in retaliation for their October 7 terrorist attacks and kidnapping spree, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people (mostly innocent civilians) and over 200 people being taken as hostages.

    In Gaza, where people are isolated from the outside world because of a strong blockade, Israeli airstrikes have destroyed entire neighborhoods, including houses, schools, and mosques. On Monday, CNN used a drone to film the damage in some areas of the strip. The footage showed entire streets that were completely flattened in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. It also showed a line of buildings known as al-Zahra towers in central Gaza that were destroyed.

    New numbers from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, show that at least 5,087 people have died from Israeli attacks in the area. This includes 2,055 children.

    The situation in Gaza is getting worse, and countries around the world are having a hard time agreeing on what to do.

    The US rejects the request for a halt in fighting between Israel and Hamas. A spokesperson from the National Security Council, John Kirby, said on CNN that Hamas needs to let go of the people they are holding against their will in Gaza before a ceasefire can happen.

    China, Russia, and Slovenia have asked for the fighting to stop, while Brazil and Ireland have suggested temporary breaks to provide help and support.

    There were strong emotions at the UN Security Council on Tuesday when Secretary General António Guterres asked for an immediate ceasefire to help people who need help.

    “Protecting ordinary people does not involve forcing over one million individuals to leave for the southern area where there are no places to stay, no food, no water, no medicine, and no fuel. Additionally, they are still being attacked in the south. ”

    Guterres also stated that we should understand that the attacks by Hamas did not occur without any cause. The Palestinian people have endured 56 years of a very oppressive occupation. ” They have watched their land slowly taken over by towns and troubled by violence; their economy suppressed; their people forced to leave and their homes destroyed.

    He said that Hamas’ terrible actions cannot excuse punishing all the Palestinian people. Dear honorable individuals, even during times of war, there are certain guidelines that need to be followed.
    The Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, wrote on social media that he wants Guterres to quit right away. He also said that Guterres is not suitable to be the leader of the UN. The Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, was at the United Nations on Tuesday. He stated that he would not meet with Guterres and believes that a fair approach is not suitable.

    “Hamas should be completely eliminated from the world. ” Cohen wrote on X, which is also called Twitter.

    Israel’s ability to protect itself was supported by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Security Council. He said that it is important to have breaks in fighting to let aid reach people in Gaza who need it. He specifically said not to use the word “ceasefire. ”

    Blinken told the council that Israel needs to try its best to keep civilians safe and asked Hamas to stop using Palestinian people as a way to protect themselves.

    Fuel is very important for living in Gaza. If there is no fuel, then water cannot be moved or turned into drinkable water. The machines that make hospitals work, like incubators, ventilators, and kidney machines, also won’t work. These machines need fuel to function. Fuel is also needed to clean surgical tools.

    According to the World Health Organization, six hospitals in Gaza had to shut down because they did not have enough fuel.

    The WHO says that six hospitals in the Gaza Strip have closed because they don’t have enough fuel. This is in addition to other hospitals that have closed because of damage and attacks.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) alerted that unless Gaza urgently receives essential fuel and extra health supplies, many sick people who are at risk may die.

    Save the Children said on Monday that more than 1 million children are stuck in Gaza without a safe place to go. They also warned about the serious effects of not having enough medicine and electricity to power important health facilities in the area.

    A big organization of United Nations in Gaza stated that it will have to stop providing help in Gaza on Wednesday if fuel is not allowed into the area.

    A person who works for CNN tried to escape from Gaza with his family. Learn the reasons for why he had to go back.

    The UNRWA said on social media that if we don’t get fuel soon, we will have to stop working in the Gaza Strip starting tomorrow night.

    Gaza needs a lot of fuel every day, about 160,000 litres (42,267 gallons). This fuel is not only for the UNRWA facilities, but also for hospitals, bakeries, and other important things that people need. Juliette Touma, a spokeswoman for the organization, said this.

    Israeli and UN authorities have said that over the weekend, no fuel trucks from Egypt’s Rafah border crossing entered Gaza as part of a humanitarian aid convoy, despite the urgent need for it.

    But, the leader of the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday that they will try to give fuel to help the people who are suffering. He repeated Israel’s stance that it will not allow the fuel to get to Hamas because they don’t want Hamas to keep fighting against the people of Israel.

    The Lieutenant said that they will ensure there is enough fuel in the necessary locations to provide medical care to civilians. General Herzi Halevi mentioned that the IDF didn’t explain how they would get fuel to the people who needed it the most.

    Earlier, Mark Regev, who advises Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said on CNN that Israel would not permit fuel to enter Gaza, even if all the hostages were set free.

    Right now, we do not want to give any more fuel to the Hamas military machine. We have only approved medicine and water. We have given permission for food, but we have not given permission for anything else,” Regev stated.

    The government has decided not to give fuel because they believe that Hamas will steal it and use it to power rockets that they shoot into Israel to harm our people.

    The United Nations is carefully monitoring to see if Hamas is taking humanitarian aid meant for people in Gaza for themselves. So far, they haven’t seen any signs of this happening, according to the spokesperson for the US State Department, Matt Miller.
    On Monday, Hamas let go of two Israeli citizens, who were older women. This happened because there was a lot of pressure from around the world to make sure the other abducted people are also released from Gaza. An 85-year-old grandmother named Yocheved Lifshitz was recently released after being kidnapped and taken to Gaza by gunmen. She described her terrible experience as going through hell.

    Two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, were set free on Friday. Now, these other people are also being released.

    The person speaking for the National Security Council, named Kirby, did not say on Tuesday whether the Israeli attacks on Gaza were causing any problems in trying to bring back or move hostages safely. This person said to CNN that the current US government, led by Biden, still does not know where and how the American hostages being kept by Hamas are doing.

    In Gaza, there are now cases of chickenpox, scabies, and diarrhea because the health conditions are getting worse, there is not enough cleanliness, and people are drinking water that is not safe, according to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health.

    Hospitals are in a very bad condition as they are extremely full, operating at more than their full capacity. The situation is so serious that surgeries are being done without anesthesia and sometimes using the light from phones, according to the health ministry of the Palestinian Authority.

    Approximately 50,000 pregnant women are facing difficulties in obtaining medical care. Every day, there are roughly 166 unsafe births, and over 5,000 women are expected to give birth in the next month.

    The biggest hospital in Gaza City, called Al-Shifa Hospital, has enough fuel for only two days, as stated by Marwan Abusada, a senior surgeon, on Monday.

    The situation in Al-Shifa is very bad, a doctor said that without electricity, the hospital will become a place where a lot of people will die, and there is nothing they can do to help the injured people.

    According to British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah, the situation is falling apart and the fighting needs to stop.

    If there is no fire or a safe path for people to leave, the existing catastrophe will become even worse.

    The Gaza hospital has more than 130 new babies, but it is almost out of fuel.
    A doctor who takes care of newborn babies in a hospital in southern Gaza said to CNN on Monday that if urgent fuel is not brought into the area, premature babies who need oxygen will die.

    Hatem Edhair, who is in charge of the Neonatal ICU at Nasser Medical Complex, stated that all unnecessary services such as lights and air conditioning have been switched off.

    He said there are 11 babies in his special hospital unit for newborns who are very sick, and most of them weigh less than 1. 5The number of babies coming to the unit is increasing because people from the north of Gaza are moving to the south.

    Yesterday, twenty additional trucks filled with important supplies arrived in Gaza. However, aid organizations are concerned that the current speed of delivery will not be enough to meet the needs of over 2 million people living there.

    According to UNRWA, on Tuesday, only eight out of the planned 20 aid trucks were able to enter Gaza. They didn’t say why the other twelve trucks didn’t make it across the crossing.

    According to the United Nations, the place usually gets 455 trucks carrying aid every day. This means that Gaza is missing more than 7,200 truckloads of aid that it would normally receive between October 7 and October 22, even with the deliveries over the weekend.

    That’s a tiny portion of the usual aid it gets – just one out of every two hundred parts.

  • ‘Election-related violence’ in Liberia condemned by UN

    The United Nations is worried about the violence connected to Liberia’s upcoming elections.

    On Friday, in a country in West Africa, there were fights between two groups. Two people died and 20 people got hurt. One group supports the Coalition for Democratic Change party and the other group supports the Unity Party, which is against the ruling party. The United Nation’s Human Rights Office reported this information.

    These deaths happened in the Foya area. There have also been episodes of violence in the Nimba, Montserrado, and Grand Cape Mount regions before the upcoming general elections on Tuesday.

    Spokesperson Seif Magango said that our office has recorded eight attacks on journalists by different political people, and two of them caused injuries.

    The OHCHR denounced the use of words that could be considered as hate speech.

  • Zelensky applauded after speaking at United Nations summit

    Zelensky applauded after speaking at United Nations summit

    Zelensky gets clapped for about 30 seconds by other people after he completes his speech.

    And that’s the end of one of the important events of today – lots of reporters and leaders leave the assembly hall as he goes off the stage.

    Zelensky talked about his plan for peace, which he believes will stop the war in Ukraine.

    He says that there is a plan for a peace summit, and he invited his audience to come once it is confirmed.

    He believes that unity should be talked about openly and not in secret.

    Zelensky said that evil cannot be trusted, giving the example of Prigozhin. Prigozhin was the leader of a private military group and rebelled against Putin. However, he died in a plane crash two months later.

    Zelensky finished his speech by wishing that Russia’s war will be the final one worldwide. He said “Slava Ukraini” as he left the stage.

  • Developing countries hampered by climate change – Cuba

    Developing countries hampered by climate change – Cuba

    Cuba recently held a meeting called G77 + China in Havana. One of the main topics discussed was fairness for all countries. President Miguel Diaz-Canel will talk about this in his speech at the United Nations today.

    He said that the countries that did not cause much climate change are experiencing the worst effects, while wealthy countries are not doing their part to help.

    Diaz-Canel said that debt is stopping developing nations from doing things to make their countries better or protect them from climate changes. He asked for the debt to be repaid in a better way.

  • Mayor’s home burnt to ashes in Libyan flood protests

    Mayor’s home burnt to ashes in Libyan flood protests

    The mayor’s house in Derna, a city in Libya, was completely destroyed by fire. The underlying cause of this situation was the collective frustration among protestors who demanded an explanation for the occurrence of a severe flood last week.

    They met on Monday evening at the famous Sahaba Mosque in the city. Many of them were shouting and demanding that the top officials in Libya’s eastern government be fired.

    Derna’s entire city council has been fired.

    Over 10,000 people are officially unaccounted for after two old and run-down dams broke, causing the city to be flooded.

    The United Nations recently stated that they have confirmed almost 4,000 deaths, although there have been different numbers reported before.

    The house of Derna’s mayor, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, has become a central place for people’s anger.

    People who live there say that the officials didn’t give them enough warning, even though they probably knew there would be a lot of rain.

    Some people say they were told to stay at home instead of leaving, but officials say this is not true.

    After Muammar Gaddafi was removed from power, Libya has faced conflicts over who should be in charge. Right now, there are two governments: one that the United Nations acknowledges as legitimate, located in Tripoli, and another one in the eastern part of the country supported by military leader Gen Khalifa Haftar.

    He says the flooding is a natural disaster, but many Libyans disagree. They believe the eastern government didn’t take care of the dams, even though they were warned about their weak condition.

    Speaking from his hospital bed in Benghazi, Abdelqader al-Omrani, who is 48 years old, told the AFP news agency that he and other people who live near the dams had noticed leaks two years ago. They had warned the municipality and asked for repairs to be done. “He said that they now feel responsible for causing our deaths. ”

    Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group recently said that the conflict in Libya and the lack of maintenance of dams have caused severe weather conditions, resulting in a humanitarian crisis. They also mentioned that global warming, caused by human activities, has led to a 50% increase in rainfall in eastern Libya.

    The day after the protests, a government official in eastern Libya said that all journalists were told to leave Derna. The official claimed that the journalists were making it difficult for the rescue teams to do their job.

    Emadeddin Badi from the Atlantic Council think tank wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that this is not about health or safety, but instead it is about punishing the protesters in Derna.
    Apart from receiving help from other countries, areas in Libya where militias were previously fighting are now getting support from local people who are voluntarily using their own cars to provide essential items like food, water, medicine, and bedding.

    But people who help others are saying there could be a big problem with people’s health soon, and people who protest are saying they need more help.

    And since their most important belongings were taken away by the water, they also need places where they can get new passports and identification papers.

    On Monday, there were large gatherings at the Sahaba Mosque, which was already partially damaged by flooding. These were the largest gatherings since the floods occurred, and there are indications that the protest may have support from official organizations.

    Claudia Gazzini from the International Crisis Group in Libya said that normally the protest location, the Sahaba Mosque, is closed to the public as part of the emergency zone. However, she questioned why suddenly the public was allowed to gather there.

    “It leads me to believe that it might not have been just a sudden burst of anger. ”

  • United Nations (UN) host summit for world leaders throughout this week

    United Nations (UN) host summit for world leaders throughout this week

    After lots of speeches, meetings, and parties next week at the UNGA summit, the United Nations is ready to declare World Peace at the end of the global event.

    I wish Compared to previous UN General Assemblies, the topics addressed in the two-week summit are larger in number, more volatile, and harder to resolve.Some of these topics include Russia’s war in Ukraine, severe floods in Libya, several coups in Africa, debates about economic funding between North and South regions, the violent crisis in Haiti, and the issue of climate change.

    The event’s impact may not be as strong because only US President Joe Biden from the UN Security Council’s permanent members will be present. French President Emmanuel Macron is not going out and is waiting at home to meet King Charles and address worsening situations in Niger and Sudan. The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has decided not to go somewhere, which is unusual for his country. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, now faces the possibility of being arrested when he travels. Chinese leader Xi Jinping rarely visits. Some experienced United Nations members say that it is normal for one out of every five things to happen in the history of the United Nations General Assembly.

    However, about 140 leaders of countries are planned to be present. Six vice presidents, four deputy prime ministers, and over 30 ministers of state and chiefs of delegations will also speak at the podium to share their thoughts on behalf of their countries. If you don’t usually watch the United Nations, you should still watch UNTV on Tuesday. Brazil will start talking, followed by the United States, Ukraine, and Cuba, among others.

    For the first time in the annual summit, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will be present in person. Before, he was seen on video screens in the General Assembly Hall. He is also supposed to have a conversation with Biden in Washington on Thursday.

    Disagreements between powerful countries in the UN could make it difficult to improve relationships and make progress on various issues. The Swiss Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl observed that there is increasing competition between the United States and China. The Human Rights Watch group asked nations to focus on human rights rather than politics during the week’s events.

    The week is a chance for smaller countries to show us what is most important to them. Last week, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that she doesn’t view the week as a competition between powerful nations.

    But during a meeting specifically about Ukraine at the Security Council, expect Zelensky to confront Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, if he attends this meeting. There are also individual meetings between UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. The United Nations wants Russia to be a part of the grain deal in the Black Sea again. Russia and Ukraine will not have a meeting in New York.

    Last week, Guterres explained that it is very important to stand up against people who misuse their power to restrict democracy. However, a diplomat from the Security Council has claimed that Russia has violated the UN charter by invading Ukraine, which is a neighboring country.

    On Monday, there will be a lot of discussion about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals were created a long time ago to help make poverty, education, and health better. One person told CNN that only 15 percent of the money needed to achieve those goals is available.

    The general public, who are usually allowed to visit the main office, are not allowed to come in during the busy week. Protesters might shout and hold up signs close by, but the people in fancy cars going in and out of the UN area won’t pay attention to them.

    Every year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) attracts some special people from outside the organization. In 2021, BTS, who are very popular K-pop stars, excited and entertained their fans by playing around in the Assembly Hall. This time, tennis champion Roger Federer will be at the location. Prince William and his wife Catherine will meet the UN Secretary-General on Monday afternoon to support William’s Earthshot climate initiative.

    So, now we can call UNGA the Royal Rumble. But no one forcefully pushes someone’s diplomatic face into a corner of the wrestling ring. For over a week, people have been arguing with each other using words while we are all waiting for some actual action to address a long list of problems.

  • Rival Libyan groups ‘coordinating flood relief’

    Rival Libyan groups ‘coordinating flood relief’

    The United Nations has said that the two competing governments in Libya are working together to organize help for people affected by floods.

    Over 5,300 people lost their lives when two dams broke, causing extremely destructive floods in the eastern city of Derna.

    The mayor of Derna, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, said that the number of people affected could be as high as 20,000, because a large part of the city was destroyed.

    Another person from the government in Tobruk said that many bodies are always being thrown into the sea.

    MrGhaithi said that around 18,000 to 20,000 people could die in the city. This estimation is based on the number of buildings destroyed by the flood in different areas of the city.

    We need teams who are experts in finding and bringing back dead bodies.

    Over 10,000 people are currently lost and many more have been forced to leave their homes.

    Hichem Abu Chkiouat, a government official in charge of aviation in eastern Libya, said to Reuters that the number of people who died could go up by a lot because the sea keeps bringing more dead bodies.

    Guma El-Gamaty, a Libyan academic and head of the Taghyeer Party, explained that there is concern that the number of casualties from the incident could be even higher. This is because there are many people who have not been found or reached out to their families. Their phones are not working, so it’s unclear if they are trapped under the debris, if they have died, or if they are in the ocean.

    Officials have requested additional assistance from other countries.

    A person who works for the UN said that both the governments in the east and west asked for help from other countries and were talking with each other.

    Tauhid Pasha, from the International Organisation for Migration, said that both governments asked the international community for help and services.

    “The Western government called the Government of National Unity is helping us and speaking on behalf of the whole country. They are also working together with the government in the east,” he said.

    “The current challenge is for the international community to respond appropriately to the needs and requests of governments,” he said.

    MrPasha stated that we need to increase support for the city very quickly and we need money to do so. The city originally had about 90,000 people before the flood.

    After the overthrow of the long-time leader Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the Libyan state started to break apart.

    It broke into two rival groups that are both in charge of different parts of Libya, one in the west called Tripoli and one in the east called Tobruk.

    The country is still stuck in a fight between many groups of armed people.

    Abdul Hamid Dbeibah is the leader of the government in Tripoli that is supported by the United Nations.

    Osama Hamad is the leader of the rival House of Representatives in the eastern region.

    But, lots of people believe that the true person in charge is Gen Khalifa Haftar, who is the leader of the Libyan National Army.

    Gen Haftar met with a group of soldiers from Egypt to give help and assistance after a terrible event.

    The UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Volker Turk, emphasized that after the floods, it was important for all political groups to join forces and collaborate.

    “He said that now is a time when we should all work together towards the same goal. ”

    Everyone who is affected should be helped, regardless of any specific group or organization they belong to. It is important to make sure that we take extra care to protect groups of people who are in vulnerable situations and are at even greater risk after a disaster.

    Abdulkader Assad, who is the political editor of the Libya Observer, mentioned that having one government that is accepted worldwide in the western part of Libya being challenged by another government in the eastern part has made it difficult for rescue operations to take place.

    “We are aware that Libya has been divided by two governments for at least ten years. However, we have not really experienced the consequences of this split because both governments were focused on gaining power and controlling different parts of the country,” he explained.

    But now that a few cities are going through this natural disaster, we can observe that the absence of a united centralized government is actually impacting people’s lives.

    Libyan teams looking for people who are alive in Derna are getting help from others on the field.

    People who look for and save people who are lost or in danger are coming from Egypt and Tunisia.
    Over 160 people from Turkey and firefighters from Italy and Spain are coming together.

    Tommaso Della Longa, a representative for the president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, stated that there was not much time left to find people who were still alive.

    “He said that we are aware that this window will unfortunately close soon, but there is still hope. ”

    The Libyan Red Crescent teams who were present at the scene described the disaster as a combination of a bombardment and an earthquake. Happening at the same time means that two or more things are occurring together or in sync.

    “What they are telling us is actually stories about whole parts of the city that no longer exist, villages that are completely wrecked, and thousands of families who currently need everything,” Mr. Della Longa included.

    Usama Al Husadi, who is 52 years old, has been looking for his wife and five children since the terrible flood occurred.

    I walked to find them. He told Reuters news agency that he went to all hospitals and schools but had no success. He was crying with his head in his hands.

    “We have lost at least 50 relatives from my father’s family – some are missing and some have died,” he said.

    The emigration ministry of Egypt said that the bodies of over 80 Egyptian migrants who died in the flood were brought back to Egypt. They were buried in their hometowns.

  • Sudan: Fighting worsens as airstrikes kill more than 40 people in Khartoum’s market

    Sudan: Fighting worsens as airstrikes kill more than 40 people in Khartoum’s market

    On Sunday, September 10, air strikes targeted an open market located south of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 46 lives, according to reports from activists and a medical organization.

    The attack, which took place in Khartoum’s May neighborhood, a region heavily occupied by paramilitary forces engaged in conflict with the military, left over 50 individuals wounded, as stated by the Sudan Doctors’ Union in an official statement.

    The injured and the deceased were transported to the nearest hospital in Bachaïr.

    This facility remains one of the few operational hospitals in Khartoum, where approximately 5 million residents find themselves confined to their homes with sporadic access to electricity and running water.

    The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attributed Sunday’s attack to the military’s air force, while the military denied intentionally targeting civilians, dismissing the RSF’s accusations as “false and misleading claims.”

    Sudan has been marred by violence since mid-April, when tensions between the country’s military leader, General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary general, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, escalated into open conflict. This conflict has since extended to various parts of the nation.

    In the Greater Khartoum area, RSF troops have commandeered civilian residences for use as operational bases, prompting military airstrikes on these residential areas, as reported by rights groups and activists.

    The number of internally displaced individuals has nearly doubled since mid-April, reaching an alarming figure of at least 7.1 million people, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

  • Soldiers undergo trial a for fatal anti-UN rally in Congo

    Soldiers undergo trial a for fatal anti-UN rally in Congo

    Six soldiers are currently facing trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the murder of over 40 people who were protesting against the United Nations last week.

    Two high-ranking officers are accused of telling soldiers to shoot at the protest, which was not allowed.

    The people in the eastern city of Goma held a protest to ask the UN and regional peacekeepers to leave.

    Protesters say they didn’t do a good job keeping people safe from rebel attacks in the east for many years.

    The case is taking place at a military court in Goma, the main city in a region called North Kivu, which has lots of valuable minerals and many rebel groups. Last year, the M23 fighters took control of big parts of this area.

    The soldiers were accused of doing very bad things to innocent people and not doing what their leaders told them to do.

    One of the six people on trial, Col Mike Mikombe, leads the special forces called the Republican Guard in Goma. He was the only person who said he didn’t do what he was accused of when the meeting started on Tuesday.

    It is not clear if the defendants actually shot any guns during the protest last Wednesday.

    A religious group planned a protest, but the government said they couldn’t do it. The UN peacekeeping mission in eastern DR Congo (Monusco) has experienced many demonstrations since last year.

    Monusco currently has about 18,000 people in the country, and over 12,000 of them are soldiers. It has been decided that the force will leave after the elections in December.

    The government gave an update on the recent anti-UN protest in Goma. According to them, 43 people have died, including a police officer who was allegedly killed by the protesters. Fifty-three people got hurt.

    However, the United Nations Human Rights Office mentioned that more people could have died, and a military prosecutor named Colonel Michel Kachil informed the court that 56 individuals were killed.

    More than 150 people were taken into custody by the security forces during the crackdown.

    People are very angry in DR Congo because of what happened, and Human Rights Watch says the way the soldiers reacted was very cruel and against the law.

    The military tribunal happens after the country’s ministers in charge of internal affairs and defense went to Goma to examine the incident.

    The government said they are bringing the military leader of North Kivu, General Constant Ndima, back to the capital city, Kinshasa, to talk about things. This information was reported by the AFP news agency.

    On Wednesday, it was revealed that Jacques Ndulu Ichaligonza had taken over from Gen Ndima as the temporary military governor.

    In May 2021, the regions of North Kivu and Ituri in the east were placed under martial law to try to stop the rebel groups and armed militias.

    A year and a half later, a group of soldiers was sent to eastern DR Congo to help the military’s efforts.

    Even though there were protests against peacekeeping, the leaders of East African countries agreed to continue sending their troops on Tuesday.

  • Leader of coup in Gabon promises free and fair elections, but no time frame

    Leader of coup in Gabon promises free and fair elections, but no time frame

    The leader of Gabon’s military junta has promised to give power back to regular people after “fair, clear” elections.

    However, when he gave a speech after becoming the temporary president, he didn’t say when military rule would stop.

    Gen Brice Nguema led a recent coup against Ali Bongo, removing him as president soon after he was declared the winner of a controversial election.

    Many people who were excited for change came to the inauguration and cheered. They were happy about the coup.

    But some people say that Gen Nguema’s rule will just be a continuation of the Bongo dynasty, which has been going on for 55 years.

    Ali Bongo’s dad, Omar, ruled for 41 years until he passed away in 2009. Afterwards, his son took over.

    The general worked closely with Ali Bongo for most of his career and it is believed that they are cousins.


    During the inauguration on Monday, Gen Nguema gave a strong speech, mentioning influential figures like South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, French statesman Charles de Gaulle, and former Ghanaian leader Jerry Rawlings.

    “The new president, wearing a special red outfit, said that this patriotic action will be a lesson that will be taught in our schools. ”

    He said that a new government will be created soon and suggested new laws for elections, a new set of rules for punishment, and a public vote on a new constitution.

    Gen Nguema also mentioned that he told the new government to quickly consider releasing all political prisoners.

    The event was shown live on TV in Gabon and on the internet.

    Ex-government ministers who used to work in the previous government came, but a group of people who support the current military rulers made loud disapproving sounds at them.

    General Nguema’s inauguration is the most recent in a line of military takeovers happening in West and Central Africa.

    Gabon is now being ruled by the military, making it the sixth French-speaking country to experience this in the past three years. This is happening because France, who used to control Gabon, is finding it difficult to keep its power and influence in Africa.

    The African Union has stopped Gabon’s membership because of the coup. The United Nations and France have criticized the coup.

  • Humanitarian crisis in Niger imminent – UN after suspension of activities

    Humanitarian crisis in Niger imminent – UN after suspension of activities

    The United Nations is worried that there will be a big problem with people’s well-being in Niger soon. This is because the new leaders of the military have stopped the work of United Nations groups in areas where there is fighting.

    On Thursday, the government of Niger said that international organizations like the UN can’t work in certain areas for now because of security problems.

    It did not say which areas were impacted.

    For many years, the country has had problems with attacks from Islamist militants. However, the situation has gotten even worse since the recent coup that overthrew President Mohammed Bazoum’s government.

    Soon after assuming control, the military leaders explained that they had taken charge in order to more effectively deal with the uprising movements.

    The person who led the coup has stopped the UN Humanitarian Air Service. This happened because less than 50% of Niger’s health centers are able to work.

    On Wednesday, the United Nations stated that the action has made it difficult to deliver important medicines and food supplies. Other United Nations organizations have also been impacted.

    The international organization is very concerned about the situation of over 600,000 refugees and over 20,000 displaced people who are living in unsafe conditions in West Africa.

  • Coups are not the answer – UN Secretary-General says

    Coups are not the answer – UN Secretary-General says

    In the wake of a series of coups in African countries, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a warning on Friday, stating that military takeovers exacerbate problems and are not the solution to governance challenges.

    He emphasized the importance of establishing credible democratic institutions, the rule of law, and strengthening international bodies like the African Union to promote peace, stability, and democracy on the continent.

    Additionally, Guterres highlighted the need to address the root causes of political instability, particularly the lack of development.

    “Development is a central objective if we want to create conditions for peace and stability in Africa.”

    His remarks follow Wednesday’s coup d’état in Gabon, the eighth in Africa since 2020. In July of the previous one, the military seized power in Niger.

  • Hundreds of thousands pushed to commit fraud in SE Asia – UN

    Hundreds of thousands pushed to commit fraud in SE Asia – UN

    A recent report from the United Nations (UN) states that many people from different parts of the world have been brought to Southeast Asia to carry out online scams.

    Around 120,000 individuals in Myanmar and 100,000 in Cambodia have been compelled to participate in these fraudulent schemes.

    Many of the people affected are men from Asia, but there are also some from other places like Africa and Latin America.

    The UN report is the first study to look at the problem in a detailed way, even though this problem has been around for many years.

    The report says that because of the pandemic, many people had to stay at home and use the internet more. This made it easier for online scammers to trick them.

    Criminal gangs used to exploit vulnerable, uneducated individuals who needed money quickly. However, they are now focusing on victims with high-level jobs and advanced education, such as college graduates or even those with post-graduate degrees.

    According to the report, a lot of the places where people are compelled to commit cyber crime have weak government control, lack proper rules and laws, and have disputed authority.

    The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that while we keep asking for fairness for those who have been tricked through online crimes, we need to remember that there are two groups of people who are hurt by this problem.

    The UN believes that these scam centers make billions of US dollars each year.

    Different news sources, like the BBC, have talked a lot with people who have been tricked by these groups of criminals.

    Many times, people are tempted by advertisements that offer simple jobs and amazing benefits, but are fooled and end up going to Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand.

    After they come, they are locked up and made to work in places where they deceive people on the internet. If people don’t obey, they could be in danger. Many people have been tortured and treated in a cruel and inhumane way.

    Some networks also trick people looking for love and romance, which is often called “pig-butchering” scams. Last year, a 25-year-old person from Malaysia went to Bangkok to meet a person they only knew online. Unfortunately, this individual was tortured and killed in a very sad incident.

    Instead, he was taken to Myanmar against his will and made to work for companies that are part of fraudulent activities on the internet. In one of his final phone calls to his parents, he told them that he was attacked because people thought he was lying about being sick. He passed away after spending a month in the intensive care unit.

    The UN says that regulations in Southeast Asian countries are not as good as international standards. These regulations have not been able to keep up with the changes in online scam operations caused by the pandemic.

    Pia Oberoi, someone who gives advice at the UN Human Rights Office, said that there are many more situations of people being taken advantage of that haven’t been reported. This is because the victims feel embarrassed and ashamed about the work they were tricked into doing.

    The report said that we shouldn’t only focus on stopping organized crime or controlling the borders when dealing with this issue. Instead, we need to make sure that these victims of trafficking are kept safe and treated fairly.

    Mr Türk asked governments to be firm in dealing with these criminal networks.

    “He said that all states that are affected need to have the determination to make human rights stronger and improve how they are governed and how laws are followed. This includes making strong and continuous efforts to address and fight against corruption. ”

  • Sudanese war could lead to disaster in the region – UN

    Sudanese war could lead to disaster in the region – UN

    The United Nations says that the war in Sudan is causing a lot of harm to the whole country. The entire region may face a significant catastrophe as a result of this.

    In April, a major conflict arose between the military forces and a faction of individuals who are not formally affiliated with the armed forces.The fight is getting bigger and spreading to more places.
    The UN says many kids are extremely malnourished and might die soon if they don’t get help.

    The person in charge of helping people in need from the United Nations says that a lack of food,illnesses, and people being forced to leave their homes are close to completely ruining Sudan.

    There have been a lot of sad reports about how the war is affecting people, but Martin Griffiths is saying that if the fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces keeps going, the whole area will have very bad results.

    This week, the charity Save The Children had to shut down many of its nutrition centers because of the violence happening.

    It was reported that over 30,000 kids were not getting the treatment they needed, and as a result,almost 500 of them had died.

  • Four million Ethiopians become homeless due to conflict and drought – United Nations

    Four million Ethiopians become homeless due to conflict and drought – United Nations

    The United Nations migration agency reports that over four million people in Ethiopia have been forced to leave their homes due to conflict or drought.

    The National Displacement Report looked at what happened from November to June 2023. It found that out of all the people who had to leave their homes, two-thirds of them had to do so because of fights and wars.

    This is the first time since 2021 that the report includes the Tigray region, where a lot of people in Ethiopia have been forced to leave their homes because of the war. Over a million people have been affected.

    The eastern part of Ethiopia, known as the Somali region, has the most people who have been forced to leave their homes because of a lack of rain.

    Earlier, the United Nations stated that over 20 million people in Ethiopia needed help with food, and they needed $4 billion to provide that assistance.

  • Oti Region tops regions with highest direct bribery request by public officials

    Oti Region tops regions with highest direct bribery request by public officials

    Oti Region has emerged as the region with the highest direct bribery request cases involving public officials in the country. 

    According to data from the United Nations, the region recorded 98% of such cases. 

    The Western North region on the other hand recorded the lowest cases, amounting to 24.8%. 

    Although the report said there is a substantial regional variation in the modality of how bribery is initiated, it also noted that when focused on direct requests by public officials in each of the 16 regions of Ghana, the data show that the share varies from as little as 24.8 per cent to as much as 91.8 percent. 

    “In other words, 9 out of 10 bribes in Oti are directly requested by a public official, while that is the case of just 2 out of 10 bribes in the Western North region. Such a large share of bribes being directly requested by public officials may suggest that acts of bribery do not come to the attention of the relevant authorities or that when they do, they are not investigated or there is no follow-up,” the report added.

    According to the survey, about two thirds of bribes are paid before a service is rendered. 

    “Such a large share of bribes being paid in advance of a service is an indication that the payment of bribes to public officials is often expected in Ghana. It also further underlines the bargaining power of public officials, whose position of relative power enables them to solicit a payment in exchange for the promise of providing a public service that should have been rendered upon request and, on occasion, even free of charge,” the report added.

  • Niger junta closes airspace over threat of military involvement

    Niger junta closes airspace over threat of military involvement

    In light of the possibility of military intervention from neighbouring neighbours, the leaders of the coup in Niger have temporarily closed the nation’s airspace.

    According to the flight tracking service Flightradar24, there aren’t any aircraft flying over Niger right now.

    Ecowas, a consortium of West African nations, had previously threatened to use force if President Mohamed Bazoum was not restored by Sunday at 23:00 GMT.

    Niger’s armed forces, according to a junta spokesman, are prepared to defend the nation.

    The presidential guard commander, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, later proclaimed himself the new leader after Mr. Bazoum was detained on July 26.

    International organisations and governments have denounced the military takeover, including the United Nations, the United States, former colonial power France, and the rest of the European Union.

    The Niger junta’s spokesperson read a statement on national television on Sunday, claiming to have knowledge that “a foreign power” was getting ready to strike Niger.

    Following a crisis conference in Nigeria, the military leaders of Ecowas announced on Friday that they had created a thorough strategy for the potential use of force.

    Abdel-Fatau Musah, the Ecowas commissioner for political affairs, peace, and security, stated that “all the elements that will go into any eventual intervention have been worked out here, including the resources needed, the how, and the when we are going to deploy the force.”

    He continued, “We want diplomacy to succeed, and we want this message to them [Niger’s junta] clearly transmitted that we are giving them every opportunity to undo what they have done.”

    They gave the generals a week to comply with their ultimatum to cede control by midnight local time, but the deadline has since passed.

    Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Ghana, and 14 other West African nations make up the regional commercial bloc known as Ecowas.

    Thousands of the coup leaders’ supporters gathered angrily on Sunday at a stadium in Niamey, the capital of Niger, as they appear unwilling to give up control.

    Burkina Faso and Mali, two of Niger’s neighbours, previously issued a warning that they would regard any foreign military intervention in Niger as “a declaration of war” against them. Mali and Burkina Faso are both Ecowas members, although they have both been expelled from the organisation as a result of being governed by military coups.

    Under Mr. Bazoum, Niger was an important Western ally in the conflict with Islamist extremists in West Africa’s Sahel area. Niger is a significant producer of uranium, a fuel essential for nuclear power.

  • Gender Ministry to revise PWDs Act

    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.

  • Russian account of attack that claimed 50 Ukrainian detainees rejected by UN

    Russian account of attack that claimed 50 Ukrainian detainees rejected by UN

    The United Nations has stated that the evidence does not corroborate Russian claims of a missile strike on a camp housing Ukrainian prisoners of war in July 2022.

    In that year’s strike on an Olenivka detention facility, more than 50 Ukrainian detainees perished. The conclusions of the UN Human Rights Commissioner (OHCHR) now confirm a lengthy CNN investigation from August of last year that found the Russian claim that the camp had been struck by a Ukrainian HIMARS rocket did not hold up to scrutiny.

    The strike, according to Russian and local officials from the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, was launched by the Ukrainian side using one of the HIMARS rockets that the US had recently given.

    Andrey Lazarev, who works for the Zvezda media outlet of the Russian Defence Ministry, pointed to shards the morning following the explosion. One of the bits contained the serial number of a HIMARS rocket in exceptionally good condition.

    According to Major General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry, the detention facility was “hit by a missile attack from the American HIMARS.”

    The Russian version of events is very likely a fiction, according to CNN’s research, which was based on analysis of video and pictures taken at the scene, satellite imagery taken before and after the attack, and the work of forensic and weapons specialists. The likelihood that a HIMARS rocket damaged the facility where the inmates were housed is quite low.

    CNN examined experts who ruled out a HIMARS strike on Olenivka, but they were unable to determine with certainty what caused the deaths and injuries of so many detainees. According to the study, “experts say most signs point to an intense fire, and according to several witnesses there was no sound of an incoming rocket.”

    In agreement, the UN stated that “the information available and our analysis enable the Office to conclude that [the strike] was not caused by a HIMARS rocket.”

    “The Russian Federation neither granted general requests by the UN Human Rights Office to access areas of Ukraine that are temporarily under the military control of the Russian Federation, nor provided satisfactory guarantees about secure access for the United Nations to visit the specific site.”

    The UN concurred, saying, “The information available and our analysis enable the Office to conclude that [the strike] was not caused by a HIMARS rocket.”

    “Neither did the Russian Federation provide satisfactory assurances about secure access for the United Nations to visit the specific site, nor did it grant general requests by the UN Human Rights Office to access areas of Ukraine that are temporarily under the Russian Federation’s military control.”

    According to the OHCHR, “extensive interviews with survivors of the incident in Olenivka were conducted, and careful analysis of supplementary information was undertaken…Although the exact details of the occurrence on the night of July 28–29, 2022, are still unknown, the Office may determine from the facts at hand and our analysis that a HIMARS rocket was not to blame.

    According to the facts at hand, the OHCHR continued, “it is not currently possible to establish either the specific source of the explosion or the precise direction from which a weapon may have been fired.”

    Inmates who survived and their families “deserve the truth to be known, and for those responsible for breaches of international law to be held accountable,” said Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, on Tuesday.

    “Our office has met with the victims’ relatives and listened to their cries for justice and the truth; in fact, they have a right to truth, justice, and restitution. We must do every effort to see that justice is served for all those who have been harmed by this catastrophe.

  • Mines discovered at Ukrainian nuclear power station owned by Russia

    Mines discovered at Ukrainian nuclear power station owned by Russia

    Inspectors from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog have discovered explosives at the occupied Zaporizhzhia site.

    Volodymyr Zelensky warned earlier this month that Russian forces had there placed items “resembling explosives” on the roofs of houses to “simulate an attack,” citing Ukrainian intelligence.

    Shortly after the conflict began, the largest nuclear plant in Europe was captured by the enemy. Since then, Kiev and Moscow have accused one another of plotting a false flag operation at the plant.

    Rafael Grossy, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirmed experts ‘saw some mines located in a buffer zone between the site’s internal and external perimeter barriers’.

    In a statement on Monday, he added: ‘The IAEA has been aware of the placement of mines outside the site perimeter and also at particular places inside.

    ‘Our team has raised this specific finding with the plant and they have been told it is a military decision, and in an area controlled by military.

    ‘Having such explosives on the site is inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance and creates additional psychological pressure on plant staff…’

    ‘The team will continue its interactions with the plant.’

    His statement did not detail how many mines were found or the precise positions, but stressed they were located at the periphery of the site.

    IAEA experts said these were anti-personnel mines, which are normally placed under, on or near the ground.

    They are ‘victim-activated’ and designed to detonate when someone steps on, handles or comes near them. 

    But the agency’s initial assessment was that any detonation ‘should not affect the site’s nuclear safety and security systems’.

    Grossi has visited the plant three times since it was taken over but has been unable to clinch an agreement with Russian and Ukrainian authorities to set up a safety regime to prevent accidents.

  • Government to upgrade Bono Regional Hospital to Teaching Hospital – Health Minister

    Government to upgrade Bono Regional Hospital to Teaching Hospital – Health Minister

    The Minister of Health, Dr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has announced that the Cabinet has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the conversion of the Bono Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital.

    He shared this development during a stakeholder’s meeting held in Sunyani, attended by various regional officials, academia, health professionals, and traditional leaders.

    Dr. Agyemang-Manu, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa Central Constituency, disclosed that the approval at the 45th Cabinet meeting held in February had paved the way for the establishment of a medical school at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR).

    “It is evident that the conversion to a teaching Hospital status will strengthen the Bono Regional Hospital’s position as a Centre of Excellence and attract top-tier medical professionals to the region,” he stated.

    This transformation holds significant potential to revolutionize healthcare and medical education not only in the region but also beyond its borders.

    The Minister emphasized that becoming a teaching hospital would position the Bono Regional Hospital as a Center of Excellence, attracting top-tier medical professionals to the region.

    “We envision a future where the region becomes a hub of medical excellence, where talented minds from all walks of life come together to learn, innovate and transform the landscape of healthcare.

    ” These initiatives, Dr Agyemang-Manu believed these initiatives would strongly align with the nation’s quest for the attainment of United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3.8) which seeks to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

    “To attain UHC, we need to improve our health service coverage and health outcomes.

    The influx of specialists and healthcare experts would not only benefit patients but also contribute to the region’s economic growth, turning it into a powerful hub for healthcare, innovation, and research.

    Moreover, the decision to establish a medical school stemmed from the understanding of the importance of investing in the next generation of healthcare professionals. Dr. Agyemang-Manu envisioned a future where the region would become a hub of medical excellence, attracting talented minds from diverse backgrounds to learn, innovate, and transform the healthcare landscape.

    These initiatives align with the nation’s pursuit of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3.8). The Government is committed to ensuring that the health workforce receives adequate professional training in various specialties, which led to the establishment of the postgraduate college.

    Dr. Agyemang-Manu urged the Ministry of Education, through UENR, to expedite the processes for the medical school’s establishment. He called upon all relevant stakeholders to collaborate and support the realization of the teaching hospital.

    Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister, expressed her belief that the establishment of a teaching hospital would elevate the standard of healthcare services in the region significantly.

    By providing medical students with hands-on, real-life experiences, they can be equipped with the practical skills and knowledge needed to become exemplary healthcare professionals.

    She hoped that offering a medical school and teaching hospital within the region would encourage medical graduates to stay and serve in the area, addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals and improving healthcare accessibility for citizens.

    “As they forge strong bonds with our communities during their training, we can expect a greater likelihood of them staying and serving in our region, addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals and positively impacting healthcare accessibility for our citizens,” Madam Owusu-Banahene stated.

  • Russia would resume grain transaction – Russian ambassador

    Russia would resume grain transaction – Russian ambassador

    Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s permanent representative at the United Nations headquarters, said that if Moscow‘s criteria are addressed by international partners, Moscow would be willing to resume the Black Sea grain agreement.

    In comments made in response to a query from Reuters and posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Telegram channel on Tuesday, Gatilov charged that the arrangement had strayed from its “intended humanitarian purposes.”

    Gatilov did say the UN “tried on its part to urge the Western governments and business structures to implement the Russian-UN Memorandum.”

    “However, despite the efforts, the leadership of the UN Secretariat could not overcome the resistance of the Western countries and private companies, on which depended the fulfillment of our demands,” he said.

    Gatilov also claimed that Ukraine “repeatedly used the Black Sea humanitarian route for provocations and attacks against Russian civilian and military vessels, as well as infrastructure.”

  • UN ‘very concerned’ over rampant police brutality during Kenyan protests – UN official

    UN ‘very concerned’ over rampant police brutality during Kenyan protests – UN official

    After clashes over tax increases reportedly turned deadly, the United Nations stated that it was “very concerned” about the widespread use of violence by Kenyan police against demonstrators.

    On Wednesday, protests broke out all around the nation, including in the nation’s capital, Nairobi, where Opiyo Wandayi, the head of the opposition in Kenya’s parliament, told CNN that police had to use force to disperse the crowds.

    In a news statement on Friday, Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, stated that “reports say up to 23 people have been killed and dozens have been injured in the demonstrations in the past week.”

    Laurence called for “prompt, thorough, independent and transparent investigations into the deaths and injuries. Those responsible must be held to account. Effective measures to prevent further deaths and injuries must be adopted.”

    “In light of calls for further protests next week, we call on the authorities to ensure the right to peaceful assembly as guaranteed by the Kenyan Constitution and international human rights law.

    The policing of protests must seek to facilitate peaceful assemblies, and any use of force must be guided by the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination. Firearms should never be used to disperse protests,” Laurence said.

    Laurence also appealed “for calm and encourage open dialogue to address social, economic and political grievances, with the aim of identifying lasting solutions in the interests of all Kenyans.”

    Demonstrations have flared in Kenya over a raft of unpopular tax hikes proposed by the national government.

    Kenyan opposition leader and former prime minister Raila Odinga has led calls for protests over the increases.

    Odinga lost the election in August last year and believes the results were manipulated and has since led civil disobedience protests against his political rival.

    A Kenyan court temporarily halted the implementation of the Finance Act 2023 touted by President William Ruto as a measure to shore up public finances and increase domestic revenue.

    However, the Ruto administration defied the court order and increased tax on fuel prices, which has led to a rise in cost of transport and staple goods.

  • UN frowns on sexual violence against Sudan women

    UN frowns on sexual violence against Sudan women

    The United Nations has strongly denounced the escalating prevalence of sexual violence targeting women and girls in Sudan during the ongoing conflict that has spanned over two months.

    The UN human rights office in Sudan has reported receiving credible information regarding more than 20 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, affecting at least 57 women and girls. Disturbingly, one incident involved the rape of up to 20 women in a single attack.

    Martin Griffiths, the UN’s chief humanitarian official, expressed deep concern over these abhorrent acts and emphasized that it is morally unacceptable for Sudan’s women and children to endure such traumatizing experiences.